After criticism, Google postpones bookdeal

The judge overseeing Google’s controversial agreement with American publishers to digitise millions of books has delayed a hearing into the $125m deal – effectively shutting down the settlement and sending it back to the drawing board.

Instead of proceeding with the internet giant’s plans to make millions of in-copyright books available online and take a slice of the proceeds – a deal first announced last year – the groups will now go back and renegotiate the settlement in way that satisfies critics including the US Department of Justice.

via Google Books deal postponed after avalanche of criticism | Technology | guardian.co.uk.