Internet Archive forced to remove 500k books after publishers' court win (arstechnica.com)

Article summary

The Internet Archive was forced to remove 500,000 books from its collection after a court ruling in favor of publishers. The court found that the Archive's lending system, which allowed users to borrow scanned copies of books, constituted copyright infringement. The decision has sparked debate about the role of the Internet Archive and the balance between preserving access to knowledge and respecting copyright laws. The Archive's lending system was initially expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase access to books.

Main themes

• Copyright infringement
• Internet Archive
• Book lending
• Publishers' rights
• Digital preservation
• Access to knowledge

What commenters say

• The Internet Archive's lending system was a blatant violation of copyright laws and the court's decision was justified.
• The Archive's actions were a necessary measure to increase access to knowledge, especially during the pandemic, and the court's decision will harm society.
• The concept of piracy is being misapplied in this case, as the Archive was not taking physical property from anyone, but rather providing access to digital copies.
• The court's decision highlights the corruption and bias of the justice system in favor of corporate interests, particularly in regards to copyright law.
• The Internet Archive should have either obtained the necessary licenses or not offered the lending service at all, rather than trying to find a loophole.
• The doctrine of first sale should apply to digital copies of books, allowing libraries and archives to lend them without infringing on copyright.
• The Archive's actions were hypocritical, given that many of its supporters rely on intellectual property for their livelihood, and the Archive should have respected the rights of publishers.
• The decision will drive the sharing of books underground, with users turning to alternative, unregulated platforms to access the removed titles.