Tell HN: Internet Archive is facing a Big 4 Publishers lawsuit

Article summary

The Internet Archive is facing a lawsuit from four major publishers, including John Wiley & Sons, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, and Penguin Random House, over alleged copyright infringement. The lawsuit stems from the Internet Archive's National Emergency Library initiative, which allowed multiple people to check out the same digital copy of a book at once during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Internet Archive had previously established a practice of purchasing copies of printed books, digitizing them, and lending them to borrowers one at a time. The lawsuit claims that the Internet Archive's actions constitute willful mass copyright infringement.

Main themes

• copyright infringement
• Internet Archive
• National Emergency Library
• COVID-19 pandemic
• fair use
• decentralization
• content creation
• preservation of cultural works

What commenters say

• The Internet Archive's actions were justified as a response to the pandemic and library closures.
• The Internet Archive should have reached out to closed public libraries to come to an agreement on lending digital copies.
• Copyright laws are outdated and should be reevaluated to allow for fair use and preservation of cultural works.
• Abolishing copyright altogether would be unrealistic and potentially harmful to content creators.
• The Internet Archive's decentralized efforts are not sufficient, and it should replicate its services globally to avoid being targeted by lawsuits.
• The commercialization of creative content can negatively influence the quality of works, and alternative funding models should be explored.
• The lawsuit is a result of the Internet Archive's decision to ignore copyright laws, and it is unlikely to win the case.
• Preserving human culture and knowledge is more important than respecting rent-seeking copyright holders.