The federal judge presiding over challenges to Google Inc.'s plans to create the world's largest digital library has refused to delay the 7-year-old case while Google appeals his decision to grant authors class certification.

U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin's order was put in the court file Wednesday in Manhattan, where he ruled in May that class action was "more efficient and effective" than requiring thousands of authors to sue individually. His order was dated Tuesday.

The Mountain View-Calif.-based Google appealed the class-certification ruling and asked to delay all proceedings until the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules.

Chin said a delay was unwarranted, especially since it would hold the case up for a year or more.

"The merits would have to be reached at some point in any event, and there simply is no good reason to delay matters further," the judge wrote.

He also said he found