The Internet Archive handed an appeal for the Hachette v. Internet Archive, after their loss in the lawsuit.
Internet Archive Sued for Ebook Copyright Case
In 2020, Hachette, Harper Collins, Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House sued the Internet Archive after the website launched its National Emergency Library. The Internet Archive gave access to the scanned copies of physical books from various publications.
The publishers called it "willful digital piracy on an industrial scale." In March, the New York Judge agreed on the judgment. However, the ruling stated that Internet Archive's scanning and lending of books did not fall under the protection of the fair use law. Moreover, it a settlement was required to remove the public access to the commercially available books under copyright.
Last month, record labels filed a copyright infringement case against the Internet Archive after launching its "Great 78 Project." Court documents showed that the organization is still finalizing its response to the lawsuit with the pre-trial set on October.
Internet Archives Wants Reconsideration
In a statement, the Internet Archive claimed that the "lower court made errors in facts and law," which results to their appeal. The organization also acknowledged that the battle will not be easy but it is deemed "necessary" to fight for the rights of library collections in the digital age.
"The core values and library functions of preservation and access, equal opportunity, and universal education are being threatened by book bans, budget cuts, onerous licensing schemes, and now by this harmful lawsuit," founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive Brewster Kahle.