The Biographical Dictionary of Authors Guild Insiders: Michael Gross

The legal shit storm at Goldman Sachs reminds me that it is time to post the last entry in The Biographical Dictionary of Authors Guild Insiders. The Authors Guild “insiders” are those senior staff members who worked in smoke-filled backrooms with the Guild's publishing allies to craft a spurious legal agreement titled Google Book Search Settlement in a brazen attempt to sell the copyrighted works of tens of thousands of non-Guild writers to Google for $125 million. Here's the final entry:

Michael Gross -- a 1999 graduate of New York Law School and staff attorney for the Guild since 1999, who has assisted hundreds of authors in contractual and copyright matters and speaks regularly to writers groups on book contract issues, provided additional legal support for the negotiating team. [The Public Index]

Other entries include biographical sketches of Guild executive director Paul Aiken, general counsel Jan Constantine, director of legal services Anita Fore, consultant Simon Marcus, marketing director Sandy Long, and librarian Terry King.

A federal judge is currently reviewing the legality of the revised Google Book Search Settlement (GBS 2.0).

UPDATE: Just checked the website of the Authors Guild. I cannot believe that legendary SF author Frederik Pohl is still listed as an advisor to the Guild's Council. What a clown.