Google Book Search settlement workshop is today!

I’m heading to a workshop today to listen to authors, agents, editors, and who knows what else talk about the proposed Google Book Search settlement. It’s being hosted by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

A lot of authors are having trouble deciding whether the settlement is good or bad for them, probably because it’s a little of both when you get right down to it. I tend to side with Google, but then, I tend to think that making every. single. thing. in. the. world. searchable is a Good Thing and should be done, and I have no faith it will happen in the next 20 years without a for-profit corporation getting involved. (And believe me, I am no sycophant of big business.)

I’ll be curious to see what people say at the workshop. I have my own opinions about what should happen here (and it boils down to: authors, don’t forget that you also have a duty to the world, same as any citizen), but I’m saving them until after I see what people say today. At least one of the speakers should be non-partisan, but I have a suspicion things will get heated. We’ll see.

(Photo: Robert Couse-Baker)