The Department of Justice just showed part of its hand in the investigation of Google’s class action settlement with book publishers and authors, and the Googlers in Mountain View should be getting concerned.

In a letter to the judge who must decide whether to certify the landmark settlement, the trust-busters confirmed for the first time that they were taking a look at the deal – in fact, that they’ve issued civil investigative demands to get more information, so it’s more than a casual glance – though of course they have “reached no conclusions” yet. Read more