Calling Canadian Writers: join our anti-Google petition!
Canadian Writers’ Petition:
Fellow authors and copyright holders:
Many of you are already familiar with the Google Book Settlement, and its dangers for Canadian copyrights. For those of you who are not, we suggest you skim through a highly readable statement by the U.S. National Writers Union, which flatly opposes it. http://www.nwubook.org/NWU-GBS2-FAQ.html
We are a group of concerned Canadian authors who would like to protest this settlement in as effective a way as possible. Accordingly, we have written a protest letter, which we hope will gather names, including yours. Then we intend to release the letter to the media, to politicians, and anywhere else that might conceivably have an effect.
A court in New York City will soon be deciding whether to approve or reject this settlement. We hope the judge rejects it. For those of you who have considered opting out, the deadline is January 28. This is also the deadline for any submissions to the court.
We have very little time left to influence the debate. If you would like to respond, please do so as quickly as you are able.
To add your name to this petition, please email dvbolt@aol.com (Your email will NOT appear on the petition.)
LETTER IN PROTEST OF THE GOOGLE BOOK SETTLEMENT
The following Canadian authors and copyright holders wish to protest the Google Book Settlement. Even in its revised form, it is an assault on international copyright law and has distorted class action law for the benefit of a predatory corporation.
New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and India – all countries with English-language presses similar to Canada’s — have been exempted from the settlement because they protested vigorously against it.. We wish to protest just as loudly. The Governments of France and Germany protested that illegal digitization of books amounted to theft of a cultural heritage. We agree, and believe that Canada’s heritage of Cultural nationalism should be applied to the Google settlement. All of continental Europe is now exempt, and so should Canada be.
We believe that Canadian Copyrights should be subject to Canadian courts, as well as to the Berne Convention. We believe that Canadians should not lose control over their works because they fail to sign up in a registry in another country; and, further, that the opt-out (rather than the time-honoured opt-in) clause serves to co-opt many copyright holders who do not have the the time or inclination to study this complicated settlement. Also, the deadline for opting out insults common sense and benefits only Google.
The director of the US Copyright Office has said “no factors have been demonstrated that would justify creating a system akin to a compulsory license for Google – and only Google – to digitize books for an indefinite period of time.” She has called it “an end-run around copyright law”. We agree.
The US Department of Justice sees no reason why Google should not negotiate with authors and publishers individually, just like anyone else who wants to purchase copyright licences. We agree.
The Google Settlement was negotiated by the Authors Guild of the U.S. But other U.S. groups — the National Writers Union, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers — are all unequivocally opposed to it. We do not accept that the Authors Guild speaks for us and join the above organizations in demanding that the settlement be rejected.
If the settlement is not rejected, we see no reason to trust in the future. The Google Corporation has behaved in an illegal and predatory fashion in the past and will likely go on behaving in this way.
We join with the writers’ and publishers’ groups, as well as with the foreign law courts and governments, who reject the settlement in its entirety.
Sarah Sheard Mona Fertig Kim Goldberg Katherine Gordon Patricia Robertson Marilyn Bowering Wayson Choy Heather Robertson Graeme Gibson Richard Pound Leo McGrady Q.C.bill bissett Michael Elcock Paul Seesequasis
Monika Ullmann
Deanna Kawatski
Susan Glickman
Susan McCaslin
David S. Young
Ann Ireland
Andris Taskans
Anne Cameron
Linda Griffiths
Tedde Moore (own works and estate of Mavor Moore)
David Bolt (own works and estate of Carol Bolt)
Trysh Ashby-Rolls
Star Weiss
Anthony Bruce
Catherine Greenwood
Theresa Kishkan
Dave Margoshes
Alan Twigg
Daniel Wood
Trevor Carolan
Evelyn Sommers
Paulo da Costa
Susan Crean
Kathy Page
Blanche Howard
Keith Maillard
Daphne Marlatt Rohan O’Grady
Richard Stevenson
Peter Such
Tina Dickey
Ann Eriksson
Billie Livingston
Crispin Elsted
Christopher Levenson
Karen Shklanka
Ahava Shira
Leslie Hall Pinder
Charles Godfrey
Sandra Campbell
Robin Mathews
Ruth Roach Pierson
Sharon McKay
Susan McNicoll
Dave Glaze
Stuart Ross
Claire Eamer
Ann Diamond
Roy Innes
George Payerle
Frances Tang-Graham
Shawn Harold
Bruce Elkin
Catherine Owen Bella Smith Michelle Forrest
Dorothy Pedersen
Barbara Pelman Maria Coffey Bonita Slunder Eleanor Millard Gina Roitman
Michael Kenyon
Yvette Doucette
Fred Kerner
Leanne McIntosh
Candace Savage
Robin Harlick
Maureen Hull
Dr. Edward H. Shaffer.
Goh Poh Seng
Alison Griffiths
David Cruise
Silver Donald Cameron
Margie Taylor
Paul Mackan
Stan Dragland
Jacques R. Pauwels
Richelle Kosar
Michael Kusugak
Sid Marty Doug Fevens Helen McLean Sean Horlor Shirley Skidmore
Norma Charles
Tom Philp
Dave Bennett
Lou Allin
Jancis M. Andrews
Leona Gom
Sandy Shreve
Nelofer Pazira
Joanna Lilley Jodi Lundgren
Christin Geall
Christine Lowther
Larry Chapman
Margaret Dragu Albert M. Jabara Betty C. Keller
P.M. Foss Jane Covernton
Tamara Sheehan
Irene Allison
Helen Allison
Matt Beam
Heather Harbord
David R.M. Prest
Anita Louise Prest
Barbara Lambert
Sofie McGarry
Virginia Dansereau
Brian D. Johnson
Erin Sullivan
Paul Vasey
John Gilmore
Cathy & Doug Simons
Pam Blackstone
Anna Kemp
Rick Blechta
Tanya Lester
David Forrest Gail Bowen
Peter Lebensold
Isabel Huggan
Winona L. Baker Candace Fertile
Sylvia Sikundar
Maggie Dwyer
Patrick O’Flaherty
Ilonka Halsband Liza Potvin
Sadhu Binning
Ron Smith
Patricia J. Smith
Don H. Meredith
Katrin Horowitz
Joyce Goodwin
Julie Lawson
Shauna Paull
Carol Shaben
Margaret Sweatman
Pat Krause
Robert Sutherland
Sharon McKay
Jillian Ridington
Ron Bolt
Terri Perrin
Robin Ridington
Richard Paris
Shelley Harrison Ray
Betsy Nuse
Mary Tilberg
Kit Pepper
Vivian Kane
Amalia Colussi Beverley Cooper Sandy Frances Duncan
David Leach
Lyn Hancock
Liz Clark
Gail Buente
Richard Mackie
Chris Banner
Sharon Bell
John Chipman
Susan Mayse
Jamie Reid
Edward Loyst
Leslie Prpich
David Koulack
Lisa Leighton
Allan Briesmaster
Des Kennedy Barbara Scott
Kate Marshall Flaherty
Leanne Boschman
Ian Montagnes
Chris Turner
Heidi Greco
Farideh Kheradmand Herschel Hardin
Richard Pope
Andrea MacPherson
Welwyn Wilton Katz
Oana Avasilichioaei
Jamella Hagen Carl Hunter Di Brandt Pamela Kent
Michael Eden Reynolds
Donna Caruso
Rosella M Leslie
Henry Beissel
Gloria Lorenzen
Gill Foss
Layne Coleman
Judith Copithorne
Shelley Sanders Greer Merna Summers Geoff Kerson Sandra Janssen
John Ford
Ted Johns
Bernadette L. Wagner
Barbara Florio Graham
Monique Proulx
Durango Miller
Debra Ann March
Christine Foster
Derek Kilbourn Laurel Russwurm Gwenneth N. Steward
DC Reid (Permission to use this name to advance the cause: President, League of Canadian Poets)
Duane Radford
Stephane Thibault
E. Russell Smith
Laurel L. Russworm
Yvonne Blomer
Michael Shepherd David Fraser Gail de Vos Linda Lee Crosfield Max Wyman Liv Kennedy
Jane Goodwin
Ellen S. Jaffe
Susan Telfer
John Eerkes-Medrano
Jennifer Conklin
Jennifer Mitton
Karsten Heuer
Angela Hryniuk
Lenore Zann (MLA, NS)
Thelma Fayle
Andrew Brown
Mike Heenan
Lisa Brandt
Carol A. Stephen
Deirdre Kessler
Isobel Warren
Leona Theis
Beth Powning
Edward Butts
Brenda Kearns
Gordon Freeman
Jo Ellen Bogart
David McRae Amatoritsero Ede Edward Butts Peggy Fletcher Sheryl McFarlane Stephen Roxborough Mary Breslow
Sharon Pollock
Dorothy Rolin
Patricia A. Donahue
M. Wayne Cunningham
Kay Johnston
Sarah Weaver
Darryl McMahon
Peter Grauer
Nancy Holmes
Chris Brookes
David N. Docherty
Paul Hartal
Joyce Nelson
Marnie Parsons
James Durham
Ben Nuttall-Smith
Jane Bow
Jeanne Ainslie
Carmelita McGrath
A. Mary Murphy
Eva Tihanyi
Dr. Maxine Ruvinsky
Barbara Murray Charlotte Gray Steve Pitt Barry Grills Brian Vanderlip Noel Meyer Sharyn Heagle
Suzette Mayr
Maureen Moore
Mary Lou Dickinson
Joseph Nieforth
Anne Prange
Jane Hall
Bonnie Rogers
Betty L. Dyck
Carole Giangrande
Dennis J. Eastwood
Ursula Vaira
Ted Joslin
M.A.C. Farrant
Valerie Alia
Lesley Strutt
Rachna Gilmore
Isa Milman
Noel Meyer
Susan Olding
Valerie Adolph
Valerie Haig-Brown
Leslie Anthony
Anthony Dalton
Gloria Varley
Donald Gutstein
Joe Rosenblatt Carolyn Gossage
Will Stearn
Peri Phillips McQuay
Judith Benson
Dr. Roy Jensen
Anne Edwards
Romana Osborne
Graham Baugh
Martha Roth
Robert Graham
Reija J. Roberts
Laura Langston Rebecca Kool
Ron Johnson
Tina Keely
Pauline Comeau
Ed Overstreet
Andrew Robulack Betty Dyck Mimi Barbour Stephane Fortin Raul Galvaz N.A. Beach
Jessie Ellis
Kirk Harrop
Rifet Bahtijaragic
K. Louise
Joseph Jones
Daniel Bratton
Susan Fenner
R.P. MacIntyre
Sandra Alland
Minnie Grewal Elisabeth Vonarburg Paul C. Marriner
Opal Carew
Sonya Roy
Nicole Markotic
Damian Lopes
Jo Walton
William J. Bart
Shereen Vedam Dianne Joyce Judy Bagshaw Jane Covernton
Tamara Sheehan
Irene Allison
Helen Allison
Matt Beam
Heather Harbord
David R.M. Prest
Anita Louise Prest
Barbara Lambert
Sofie McGarry
Virginia Dansereau Bethany B. Keddy
Susan Lyons
Jessie B. Tyson
Ralph Perkins
Nora Mader
Hrant Alianak
June Cameron Bob Cockrell Marjorie Lindsey Joanne Arnott Alex Binkley
Allison Howard
Wendy Priesnitz
Kathleen Hamilton
Darlene Maynard
Guylaine Beaudry
Sandra Vogel-Hockley
Gordon Bailey
Peter Levitt
Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr
Penn Kemp
Chris Turner
Dianna L. Gunn
Keldine FitzGerald Brian Brett Judith Fitzgerald Allan Fotheringham Daphne Bourgeois Mary Soderstrom Patricia Pearson
Lenore Langs
Rosemary Danielis
Roy Miki
Margaret Slavin Diment
Maureen Hunter Dawn Service
Kico Gonzalez-Risso
Clea Roberts
Linda Rightmire
Robin McGrath Tricia Dower Bill Schermbrucker Darlene Maynard Myrl Coulter Maxie Liberman Michelle Mulder
Carol Matas
Maria Coletta McLean
Mary Alice Downie
Rex Deverell
Rick James
Caroline Woodward
Jocelyn Shipley
Paula Wild
Jennifer Crump
Linda L. Richards
Connie Marchand
Anne Fisher
Josephine Hammond
Joyce Gram
Dina E. Cox
Rachel Dunstan Muller
Jeanie Keogh
Gregory Caicco Gloria Snively
E.A. Morgan Judy Fong Bates
Lynn Westerhout Allegra Lance Maggie Paquet Anne Mason
Colleen Anderson
Tom Handford
Douglas Barbour
Claire Eamer
Maggie M. Paquet
Kathryn Bridge
Scott Karpes
Susan Andrews Grace
Michael Mitchell
Danda Humphreys
Irene Howard
Sarah Harvey
Jen Currin
Gordon D. Scott
Teressa Asensia
Rachel Gladstone-Gelman
David Lee
Derek Lundy
Phyllis Webb
Marya Fiamengo
Nadine Shelly
Mairuth Hodge Sarsfield
Brian Payton Elizabeth Ruth Patrick Lane Lorna Crozier M.C. Warrior
Michael Mitchell
Dennis Reid Colleen Curran
Derk Wynand
Erling Friis-Baastad
David Gow
Sarah Emsley
Robert Amos
Sarah Amos
Frances Itani
Joanne Bealy
Phil Hall
Jeanette Taylor
Tracy Kasaboski Nino Ricci David Zieroth
S.L. Sutherland
Roger Brunt
Silvia Ivanova
Katy Hutchison
Robin Hopper Susan Swan Peter Oliva Marcia Braundy Mansel Robinson Hazel Fulford Pam Bustin Jim Goldthorp Cathy Ford Susan McMaster Garth Martens Judith Coviensky
