House Judiciary Subcommittee Takes on Monopolistic Practices

Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy will explore growing concerns about anti-competitive and monopolistic practices taking place online. We are hopeful that the Subcommittee uses part of the hearing to further examine the threat to online competition presented by the proposed Google Book Settlement.

The hearing, titled “Competition in the Evolving Digital Marketplace,” is an opportunity for members to make inquiries on the anti-trust implications of the proposed settlement. This is not the first time the committee has explored the Google Book Settlement or heard concerns from regulators and consumer advocates about anti-competitive practices from Google. “The committee is right to consider these issues,” said Peter Brantley, cofounder of the Open Book Alliance. “Chairman Henry Johnson brought a healthy dose of skepticism to the Google Book Settlement hearing last fall. He focused on the class, copyright, anti-trust and monopolization concerns that have been voiced by myriad stakeholders, including the U.S. Government, through the Department of Justice. Our hope is that the subcommittee will continue to look at the effects and dangerous precedent that could be set by the proposed Google Book Settlement.”

Other groups including the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Writers Union have voiced similar concerns in letters to Rep. Henry Johnson.

We look forward to another examination of the anti-competitive ramifications of the GBS.

Stay tuned…