National Writers Union

Book Division

Book Authors: Why Join the NWU?

Recent News and Events:

• NWU statements regarding proposed "orphan works" legislation:
  • U.S. Copyright Office public inquiry on  "orphan works":
    • What's happening and why it matters to writers
    • NWU initial comments to the Copyright Office on "orphan works", February 4, 2013
    • NWU reply comments to the Copyright Office on "orphan works", March 6, 2013
  • NWU comments to the U.K. House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport in response to an inquiry regarding "Support for the Creative Economy," including proposals for U.K. legislation on "orphan works" and "Extended Collective Licensing" (ECL), November 9, 2012
  • Kidnapped (blog post by NWU member Ursula K. Le Guin, January 21, 2013)
  • Facts and Fallacies of "Orphan Works"
    (NWU position paper for a symposium at U.C. Berkeley on Orphan Works & Mass Digitization: Obstacles & Opportunities, April 12-13, 2012; see also a report on the symposium and the issues it raises for authors, NWU Members Participate in Copyright Symposium, and a follow-up to the symposium by one of the NWU participants, What do authors fear from "Orphan Works" licensing proposals?)


• NWU submissions to the U.S. Copyright Office concerning remedies for small copyright claims:
  • NWU comments submitted to the Copyright Office, January 16, 2012
  • Transcripts including NWU testimony at Copyright Office hearings in New York and Los Angeles, November 2012
  • NWU written statement at hearing in New York, November 16, 2012
  • NWU comments submitted in reply to Copyright Office follow-up inquiry, April 12, 2013


• NWU and other writers' organizations respond to book publishers' settlement with Google over book scanning:
  • Writers Slam Secrecy of Book Publishers' Deal with Google;
    Call on Department of Justice to Investigate Antitrust Implications (October 9, 2012)
  • Letter from the NWU, ASJA, and SFWA to the U.S. Department of Justice (October 9, 2012)


• NWU Supports Librarians' Objections to Publishers' E-Book Licensing Terms (October 5, 2012)
• Dept. of Justice E-Book Price-Fixing Settlement with Publishers Leaves Collusion Against Writers Unpunished (October 3, 2012)


• NWU comments on intellectual property infringement and enforcement submitted to the White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator:
  • August 10. 2012 (request for comments; comments of other individuals and organizations)
  • March 23, 2010 (request for comments; comments of other individuals and organizations)


• NWU Resolution on E-Book Royalties
  (adopted unanimously by the biennial NWU Delegate Assembly, June 2011)


• E-Book Contract Amendments: Overview and advice from the NWU (May, 2010)


• Authors Guild v. Google lawsuit:
  • NWU Files Amicus Brief Against Google Scanning Project (February 15, 2013)
  • Brief submitted the NWU and other organizations of writers (February 15, 2013)
  • Other filings in the current class certification appeal including amicus briefs from the American Society of Journalists and Authors and from the American Society of Media Photographers et al.
  
  
  • NWU Calls for Renewed Action to Protect Writers' Rights Following Rejection of Google Books Settlement (March 23, 2011)
  • Decision of the Federal District Court rejecting proiposed settlement as unfair and inadequate (March 22, 2011)


• Google Books settlement fairness hearing, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (New York City, February 18, 2010)
  • NWU Asks Federal Court To Scrap Proposed Google Book Deal
  • Transcript of argument by Prof. Ron Lazebnik, Fordham Univ. Law School, on behalf of the NWU, ASJA, and SFWA (PDF, 42 KB)
  • Complete transcript of fairness hearing (PDF, 398 KB)
  • Summary and analysis of arguments at the hearing by Prof. James Grimmelmann, N.Y. Law School: Part One Part Two
  • Analysis of claims and opt-outs by EFF: Part One Part Two
  • Report on some of the opt-out names, emphasizing those in the UK, from the Guardian
  • What can I do? (a note to fellow writers from Ursula K. Le Guin)


• Writers' arguments against the amended Google Books settlement proposal (filed with the U.S. District Court, January 28, 2010)
  • NWU calls for rejection of the revised Google Books settlement proposal (February 4, 2010)
  • Brief of the NWU, ASJA, and SFWA (brief only, PDF, 235 KB)
  • Writers' brief with supporting exhibits
    (including petition by Ursula K. Le Guin and 367 other authors; PDF, 3.4 MB)


• The Google Book Settlement: What's in it for writers?
  Free public informational events in New York City on Wednesday, Jan. 20, and in Berkeley, CA, on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
  • Podcast audio of New York event (mp3, 124MB)
  • Podcast audio of Berkeley event (mp3, 58MB)
  • Video of New York event and streaming audio of both events
  • Alternate video stream of New York event
  • Why the NWU thinks the proposed Google Books settlement is unfair (Edward Hasbrouck, NWU)
  • Last Chance to Opt Out of Google Book Settlement (Pamela Samuelson)


• NWU FAQ for writers about the revised Google Book Search settlement proposal (also available in PDF format)
• Sample Google Books settlement opt-out letter (MS-Word format; postmark by Jan. 28, 2010)
• Opt-out online (not reliable and no confirmation)
  (The NWU recommends that if you opt out online, you complete the form twice, once as author and once as publisher/self-publisher)
• How to demand that Google stop displaying your work (Digital Millennium Copyright Act infringement notice)


• Letter to Congressional authors from the NWU, ASJA, and SFWA (Jan. 6, 2010)
• Revised Google Deal Still Disses Writers, NWU Says (Nov. 14, 2009)
• NWU Calls on the Authors Guild to Withdraw from the Google Copyright Infringement Settlement (Sept. 25, 2009)
• NWU Files Brief Opposing Google Books Settlement (Sept. 8, 2009) (also available in PDF format)
• NWU brief opposing the original Google Books settlement proposal (Sept. 8, 2009)
• NWU Joins Open Book Alliance (Sept. 4, 2009)
• Open Book Alliance brief opposing original Google Books settlement proposal (Sept. 8, 2009)
• Former Vice President Al Gore Urged by NWU to Help Delay the Proposed Google Book Settlement (Sept. 1, 2009)
• NWU Letter to Al Gore Re: Proposed Google Book Settlement (Sept. 1, 2009)
• NWU Opposes Settlement of Class-Action Lawsuit Against Google for Copyright Infringement (Aug. 13, 2009) (also available in PDF format)


• Petition Concerning the Google Book Settlement initiated by NWU member Ursula K. Le Guin
• NWU member Ursula K. Le Guin's appeal to writers to join the NWU


• Canadian Authors' Petition in Protest of the Google Book Settlement
• Academic Author Objections to the original Google Book Settlement proposal
• Academic Author Objections to the revised Google Book Settlement proposal
• Authors and publishers privacy objections to the Google Book Search Settlement
• Google Books and Writers Rights (by NWU member Edward Hasbrouck)
• Other Objections to the original Google Book Settlement proposal
• Other Objections to the revised Google Book Settlement proposal


• NWU Digital Bill of Rights
• NWU Digital Bill of Rights brochure
• Authors in the New Information Age, Version 2.0
  (white paper on electronic publishing issues adopted by the NWU Delegate Assemply)
• About the NWU white paper, "Authors in the New Information Age"


• E-Book Contract Amendments: Overview and advice from the NWU (May, 2010)
• Other NWU book, e-book, and contract advice
• Contract advice for NWU members
• Grievance assistance for NWU members


• Book Authors: Why Join the NWU? (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions about the NWU (PDF)
• NWU member Ursula K. Le Guin's appeal to writers to join the NWU
• Quotes from NWU members: "Why I joined the NWU" (PDF)
• NWU membership benefits (PDF)


• NWU Book Division and national organizing e-mail discussion list-servers:
  • NWU-Book (NWU members only; mutual aid for book authors)
  • Searchable archives of NWU-Book mailing list (members only)
  • NWU-Activists (NWU national organizing)


• Report infringements of your copyrights (including infringements by publishers) to the U.S. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. Reporting is essential to document the nature and extent of infringement problems.


• Join the NWU:
  • Apply online to join the NWU
  • Downloadable mail-in application form (PDF)