Introducing "Settlement Question of the Week"

On May 5 we launched the FREELANCE RIGHTS blog for discussion of the landmark copyright class action involving illegal reuse on electronic databases of previously published newspaper and magazine articles. See "Launching FREELANCERIGHTS.blogspot.com,"
http://freelancerights.blogspot.com/2005/05/launching-freelancerightsblogspotcom.html.

Later that day we kicked off the discussion by examining the $10-to-$18-million total recovery, and the overall structure, of the preliminary settlement. See "Kicking Off the Discussion,"
http://freelancerights.blogspot.com/2005/05/kicking-off-discussion.html.

We now introduce a series of posts called "Settlement Question of the Week," and invite further comment and discussion.

In keeping with the mission of our motion to vacate the preliminary settlement in this case, we do not reach a conclusion on the first Settlement Question of the Week, “What Took So Long?” -- except to assert that much, much more information is required and that the class is entitled to that information.

Specifically, the consolidated class action was filed in 2001, but the court docket shows that the defendant publishers and databases never answered the complaint and the plaintiffs never sought injunctive relief from the court. In common parlance, the named plaintiffs and the industry have been "jawboning" for nearly four years. Meanwhile, infringements continued unabated, lining the pockets of the defendants and harming the interests of the plaintiffs even as the latters' settlement negotiating position was weakened.

Why?

“SETTLEMENT QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What Took So Long?” can be viewed at
http://freelancerights.blogspot.com/2005/05/settlement-question-of-week-what-took.html. There you also can post comments.

Our website is http://freelancerights.muchnick.net.

http://www.muchnick.net
Home of

IRVIN MUCHNICK'S WRESTLING JOURNALISM ARCHIVE
(wrestling.muchnick.net)

CRASS ACTION
Confessions of an Internet Avenger
(crassaction.muchnick.net)

FREELANCE RIGHTS
Motion to Halt $10-to-$18-Million Copyright Class Action Settlement
(freelancerights.muchnick.net)

FREELANCE RIGHTS BLOG
http://freelancerights.blogspot.com Received on Mon May 09 2005 - 23:50:00 GMT