German Government Files Objection to Google Book Settlement

The German government has now weighed in on the Google Book Settlement case: Germany opposes the settlement.

Germany has complained that Google had scanned books from U.S. libraries for a database without asking the owners, and there are also fears the service will be expensive for libraries as it is unclear what Google may charge them. "We hope that the court will not give its approval to the accord, or at least that it will remove German authors and publishers ... so they are unaffected," said German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries in a ministry statement.

If that happens, Germans could decide for themselves whether to make their works available to Google. German officials will take part in a fairness hearing on Oct. 7, said the ministry. Last week, the European Union's media commissioner said she backed the Google deal.

Well, that was certainly unexpected. The EU's media commissioner supports the settlement, but Germany is going its own way on this one. That is going to be one interesting hearing.