We can either have a universal library or not. I’d rather we did, and Google’s approach is the only feasible way to get there. The settlement is dumb; Google should have litigated this to the teeth.

Cost/benefit, people.

As usual, you did a great job writing this article. As you know, I share your passion for this particular subject matter, as my youngest daughter just headed off to art school this past fall, as well. It will take some effort on all of our parts to insure that both of our daughters have a fair and even playing field on which to compete … and the ability to earn their livelhood in the graphic arts arena we all love so dearly, in the digital age.

While I see that four (4) Copyright Alliance members are among the eleven (11) “named plaintiffs” in this new class action lawsuit against Google, I am blown away by all of the significant companies, organizations, and individuals who were apparently not contacted at all before this select few annointed themselves as the “leaders of the class”.

In my view, this could be VERY dangerous, especially if the judge denies certification of the class status due to insufficient research, representation, organization, and planning on the part of those sprearheading these efforts.

Just as an example, I sit on the boards of five (5) different companies in the digtial graphic arts industry. Each of these organizations owns and/or controls the licensing of well over 10,000 copyright-registered clipart illustrations and designs. Designs from each of these companies have been found to be infringed by various scanned book and/or e-book publishers (such as Google) over the past 18 months. How could it possibly be that ALL five of these significant “visual arts” indsustry-leading organizations were never even contacted by the assocations, organizations, or individuals who put this class action case together?

Are there hidden agendas here that I am unaware of, Patrick? You know how hard I try to avoid anything “political”!

Within the past few days, I have spoken with the executive directors of twelve (12) other visual arts organizations (most of which represent digital illustrators, cartoonists, and designers) who were never contacted, as well.

A coordinated “group” action such as this against Google is long overdue. I have been telling you this for years. Let’s just hope these people (the curently “named Plaintiffs”) get their act together quickly before the case is rejected, thus making subsequent attempts to achieve justive in this regard even more difficult to accomplish.

Nice article. Fun for me to see you display more passion. Please keep up the great work!

George Riddick
Chairman/CEO
Imageline, Inc.

griddick@imageline2.com