The Internet Archive suddenly had 500,000 fewer books available, the result of book publishers winning a legal battle with free online libraries, ArsTechnica reports. Publishers have long been skeptical of the Internet Archive’s practices and have accused it of copyright infringement.
Meanwhile, the Internet Archive has said it will contest the court’s order and file a new lawsuit. It hopes to convince the court that the lending of e-books does not violate current copyright law and that there is no evidence that the Internet Archive’s activities have harmed the e-book market or publishers. The court is scheduled to start hearing the case on June 28.
“We use industry-standard technology to prevent our books from being downloaded or redistributed – the same technology used by corporate publishers,” Chris Freeland, IA’s director of library services, wrote in a blog post. “But the publishers who are suing our libraries claim that we should not be allowed to lend out the books we own. They are forcing us to remove over 500,000 books from our libraries, which is why we are appealing.”
Freeland also likened the case to a fight “for the preservation of libraries and the fundamental right of access to information for all, which is the cornerstone of every democratic society.”
“We believe in the right of authors to profit from their works, and that libraries should be allowed to fulfill their mission of providing access to knowledge, whether in physical or digital form, upholding the principle that knowledge should be equally and equitably accessible to all, regardless of where they live or study.”
IA also stated that it works for a noble cause, with the marginalized, economically backward and rural sections of society benefiting immensely from its activities. No wonder, IA fans have already written an open letter to publishers, urging them to restore access to books that are currently “unavailable for loan” on IA. The letter has already garnered over 20,000 signatures, with a current goal of 25,000 signatures.
I have a keen interest in technology, so I try to keep up with the latest developments in technology and gadgets. I am not only interested in smartphones and tablets, but also AI and self-driving cars, which are my latest hobby. Apart from writing, I also like watching videos, reading, listening to music and trying different recipes. Movies are also my interest and I might make a film in the future.
