FairSearch.org Statement on the Google Book Search Settlement Ruling

FairSearch.org released the following statement on today’s Google Book Search Settlement ruling:

Today’s rejection of the Google Books settlement by Federal appeals court Judge Denny Chin confirms that allowing Google to acquire exclusive access to content and withhold it from other search engines – as Google threatens to do with ITA Software in online flight search – raises serious antitrust concerns. Judge Chin recognized that the proposal he rejected “would further entrench Google’s market power in the online search market.” Today’s ruling reaffirms the Justice Department was right to take on Google on this issue and that enforcing antitrust laws is essential to ensuring that Google not be allowed to harm consumers or competition by illegally extending its dominance in online search.