In a significant ruling for copyright and digital lending, the Second Circuit US Court of Appeals upheld a decision favoring Hachette over the Internet Archive's National Emergency Library, which allowed multiple lending of digital books during the pandemic, initially launched to assist when libraries were closed.
Chris Freehand, Director of Library Services for the Internet Archive, expressed disappointment in the ruling, stating, "We are reviewing the court's opinion and will continue to defend the rights of libraries to own, lend, and preserve books," highlighting the ongoing debate around digital lending practices and copyright.
Though the Internet Archive must now navigate the implications of the ruling, the court did recognize its nonprofit status, which may influence future legal considerations regarding its operations and the way libraries can digitize and lend resources.
The ongoing litigation poses a significant financial risk to the Internet Archive, with another lawsuit from major music labels that could potentially cost the organization as much as $400 million, exacerbating challenges in maintaining its public resource mission.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]