Scrap Google book settlement and start fresh

[Commentary] Friday is the deadline for authors to decide whether they want to accept the proposed Google book settlement or opt out and reserve their right to sue Google. But the company should scrap the whole thing and go back to square one. The proposed settlement has the potential for creating the framework for how books are digitized for the next century. The stakes for readers, authors and libraries are high. Unfortunately, many on the outside of this process looking in feel like Google's been throwing its weight around on this issue. Constructing a truly open and equitable system won't be easy. Just figuring out which parties should be at the table to lend credibility to the process could be a mammoth undertaking. That's why turning to an elected body is probably a better course for ensuring the process is inclusive. It is the kind of goodwill gesture that would go a long way toward diffusing the mounting frustration among critics and begin laying the groundwork toward an equitable solution. If Google's motives are true, then patience is the best course. It's far more important to get it right than to get it done.