Dear Author and Google Book Settlement

I just finished reading Part 1 of what will apparently be a series of posts about the Google Book Settlement on Dear Author. It was a little hard for me to follow, but it doesn't sound all that great for the authors involved (which, if I understand this correctly, could be any author, ever). When all the parts of the series have been put up, I'll have to read it all through again, and maybe draw myself some diagrams and charts or something.