Freelance Writers, Publisher Settlement Rejected by Federal Appeals Court

A federal appeals court rejected a settlement between publishers, including New York Times Co. (NYT), and freelance writers who accused the companies of copyright infringement.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York vacated a lower court order approving the agreement, finding a group of freelance authors with certain claims weren’t adequately represented, according to a decision filed today.

“We conclude that the district court abused its discretion in certifying the class and approving the settlement, because the named plaintiffs failed to adequately represent the interests of all class members,” the appeals panel said.