Authors Guild comes out swinging in Google Book Search case

The extension of Friday's deadline to next Tuesday for filing briefs in the Google Book Search settlement hasn't delayed a fierce round of verbal sparring in preparation for Judge Denny Chin's examination of the case.

"Amazon's hypocrisy is breathtaking," the Authors Guild fumed in a statement after Amazon filed a brief opposing the settlement, which the Guild supports. "It dominates online bookselling and the fledgling e-book industry. At this moment it's trying to cement its control of the e-book industry by routinely selling e-books at a loss."

To hear both sides tell it, no less than the future of book publishing is at stake, and major players including Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Sony (SNE) and a host of interest and trade groups, libraries and academics are lining up on opposing sides of the issue.