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rolanniThe Google Settlement* makes it necessary for writers to jump through a bunch of hoops on Google's deadlines, whether said writer decides to opt-in, opt-out or Object. It's not like I don't have enough stupid paperwork-like tasks to fill up my hours, or that I might have a book to write. No, of course not. Doesn't everybody have extra hours in their day that they're anxious to fill up?
And! The Google Settlement has also made it necessary for us to do a bunch more paperwork. Meisha Merlin never copyrighted our books, as we belatedly discover, so that task now falls to us -- before Google's damned deadline, which is convenient for no one but itself -- and is time-consuming and expensive, for values of expensive illuminated by the lamp of low cash-flow.
Sigh.
In other news, the trees are still trying to kill me. Since Claritin makes me...extremely hyper and depressed when I have too much of it, I've been trying to ration myself and only take the stuff on days with really high pollen-counts. I'm not sure this strategy is working out as well as it could. On the other hand, I can breathe. Mostly.
I have Failed at the day-job by not producing the result desired by a faculty member who has a...rather peculiar idea of what "austerity budget" means. The thing I resent most about this is that I feel like I failed, even though I have no choice and no wiggle-room in this matter at all. (Well, OK. I could lie on the paperwork, get caught and lose my job, but yanno?)
I've been working, too slowly, on the rewrite of the chapter I got wrong last Sunday. This iteration is right, but I wanted to be past this bit and running down the story-road, racking up lots and lots of new words!
Ahem.
Hexapuma is sleeping with the teddy bears. I'd try to get a picture, but he's going to wake up the minute I shift from this desk. Take my word that it's almost Unbearably Cute.
And now...dinner.
Progress on Mouse and Dragon
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*One explanation of the Google Settlement and what it means to authors from a genre agent. Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
difrancis for the link.
And! The Google Settlement has also made it necessary for us to do a bunch more paperwork. Meisha Merlin never copyrighted our books, as we belatedly discover, so that task now falls to us -- before Google's damned deadline, which is convenient for no one but itself -- and is time-consuming and expensive, for values of expensive illuminated by the lamp of low cash-flow.
Sigh.
In other news, the trees are still trying to kill me. Since Claritin makes me...extremely hyper and depressed when I have too much of it, I've been trying to ration myself and only take the stuff on days with really high pollen-counts. I'm not sure this strategy is working out as well as it could. On the other hand, I can breathe. Mostly.
I have Failed at the day-job by not producing the result desired by a faculty member who has a...rather peculiar idea of what "austerity budget" means. The thing I resent most about this is that I feel like I failed, even though I have no choice and no wiggle-room in this matter at all. (Well, OK. I could lie on the paperwork, get caught and lose my job, but yanno?)
I've been working, too slowly, on the rewrite of the chapter I got wrong last Sunday. This iteration is right, but I wanted to be past this bit and running down the story-road, racking up lots and lots of new words!
Ahem.
Hexapuma is sleeping with the teddy bears. I'd try to get a picture, but he's going to wake up the minute I shift from this desk. Take my word that it's almost Unbearably Cute.
And now...dinner.
58951 / 120000
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*One explanation of the Google Settlement and what it means to authors from a genre agent. Thanks to
difrancis for the link.
The icon sums up my reaction to the Google settlement.
Date: 2009-04-25 03:39 am (UTC)ETA: Steve, I'm having trouble understanding this line:
"automatic copyright" has been subverted by this theft of time
Would you be willing to clarify? I iz confuzzled. Thanks!
Re: The icon sums up my reaction to the Google settlement.
Date: 2009-04-25 02:40 pm (UTC)"automatic copyright" has been subverted by this theft of time
I'm not Steve, but "common law copyright*" doesn't seem to have entered into the discussions between Google and the Authors Guild at all and for the purposes of this settlement seems to be Utterly Ignored. The only thing the settlement wants to talk about is those works which have registered copyright. Its possible that Google "believes" that all unregistered works are in the public domain. It would be completely clueless and self-serving to believe that, but hey.
What happened to "Do no evil"?
*When you write something and you put the line "copyright 2009 by Your Name" on it, you are declaring an Intent to Copyright. This used to protect the writer and the work, from infringement, even if there was no formal registration with the copyright office.
Re: The icon sums up my reaction to the Google settlement.
Date: 2009-04-26 12:05 am (UTC)