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The U.S. Department of Justice is currently undergoing a review of the settlement between Google and the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild. These two entities had filed a class action suit against the search monolith back in 2005, but have only recently settled. Unfortunately for Google, the terms of settlement are now raising antitrust concerns as they may be giving Google too much power in the digital books space.

While a spokesperson from the Department of Justice declined to comment, the New York Times reported that:

Lawyers for the Justice Department have been in conversations in recent weeks with various groups opposed to the settlement, including the Internet Archive and Consumer Watchdog.

The inquiry does not necessarily mean that the department will oppose the settlement, which is subject to a court review. But it suggests that some of the concerns raised by critics, who say the settlement would unfairly give Google an exclusive license to profit from millions of books, have resonated with the Justice Department.

Opposition to this exclusivity arrangement believe that it promotes an unfair business atmosphere that may be exploited in the future. Interestingly, Microsoft is showing their disapproval of the situation by giving $50,000 to the New York Law School to argue that antitrust issues be dealt with before the court approves of the settlement.

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