The Google Book Settlement and the Public Interest

“A Tale of the Google Book Settlement and the Public Interest: Conclusions on the Competitive Elements” was a luncheon forum held at the National Press Club by the Computer & Communications Industry Association on the far-reaching implications of Google’s book search settlement deal with book publishers. The Google project may expand access to volumes of books, but it may also inhibit competition. David Balto presented his paper, recently released by the American Constitution Society, titled “The Earth Is Not Flat: The Public Interest and the Google Book Search Settlement: A Reply to Grimmelmann.” Professor James Grimmelman and Jonathan Band responded to offer their review of Mr. Balto’s arguments and the merits of the deal. Then Ed Black moderated a discussion before the panelists responded to questions from members of the audience.

David Balto is a senior fellow at the Center for Aerican Progress. He was a private antitrust attorney and later worked in the Antitrust Division at the close