Internet Archive: Digital Lending is Fair Use, Not Copyright Infringement * TorrentFreak

The Internet Archive’s appeal challenges a lower court ruling that deemed its controlled digital lending program copyright infringement, arguing instead that the practice constitutes protected fair use. The organization maintains that its model, which limits digital access to one user at a time from owned physical copies, serves the core purpose of copyright by promoting public access to knowledge without harming the market for traditional licensed ebooks. Central to this argument is the distinction between commercial ebook licensing and the Archive’s method of preserving and lending from permanent collections. By allowing libraries to digitize and lend older editions that might otherwise be unavailable due to restrictive commercial agreements, the Archive ensures a historical record of books and provides access independent of publisher discretion, thereby offering a service fundamentally different from standard commercial lending. This case is vital to open data and digital preservation because it determines whether libraries can legally create permanent digital archives of physical texts. If the current judgment stands, it sets a precedent that could prevent the widespread digitization and long-term preservation of cultural materials, undermining the ability of institutions to maintain open, accessible records of published knowledge for future generations.

Source: torrentfreak.com
Published on 2025-10-19

Internet Archive: Digital Lending is Fair Use, Not Copyright Infringement * TorrentFreak

Related news