Digital Books Hearing Witnesses Unveiled

September 9, 2009

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers on Wednesday unveiled his witness list for a Thursday hearing on competition and commerce in the digital book industry. The hearing comes on the heels of considerable controversy over Google's plan to digitize mass quantities of libraries' stacks. A New York federal court has scheduled a fairness hearing for Oct. 7 on the $125 million settlement Google reached in a feud with authors and publishers. Amazon.com, Microsoft, Yahoo and others have protested Google's project.

Witnesses include:

• Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond
• National Federation of the Blind President Marc Maurer
• Authors Guild Executive Director Paul Aiken
• University of Chicago law professor Randal Picker
• Amazon Vice President Paul Misener
• Consumer Watchdog John Simpson
• Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters
• Center for American Progress Senior Fellow David Balto

Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.

Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.

Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.

Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.

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