The Google Book Settlement - What this means for You

We urge you to review the settlement agreement and manage your copyrights accordingly.     

Information about the settlement is available at googlebooksettlement.com, and the full Notice, with detailed information and definitions, can be accessed at  googlebooksettlement.com/notice.html.  

• Whether your books are in or out of print, review your contracts and/or get in touch with your publishers.
  
• If copyright is held by your publishers, ask if they are participating in the suit.  Most commercial and university publishers have decided to remain in the class action suit.
  
• If you have retained copyright in your book, or copyright has reverted to you, you as an individual author are included in the class action suit.
• If you would like to opt out of the settlement you must do so by Sept. 4, 2009.  By opting out you will not be legally bound by the judgment in the pending case and you will retain the right to bring a separate lawsuit challenging Google's copying of your copyrighted material.  You will, however, forfeit any payments that might accrue under the original settlement.  As part of the opt out process you can also request that Google not digitize your books or, if it has already digitized them, not display material from them.
• If you choose not to opt out of the settlement, and the settlement is approved by the court, then in order to be eligible under the settlement to receive payments for your books you should submit a claim form before Jan. 5, 2010.  [Update: The deadline has been extended to June 5, 2010.]  The claim form also allows you to manage Google's future use of your works.