Internet Archive's Digital Library Under Fire from Publishers in Court

The Internet Archive defended its practice of digitizing books and lending those e-books for free to users of its Open Library, arguing that it is fair use and publishers have yet to show they’ve been harmed by IA’s digital lending. A federal judge is set to decide if IA’s digital lending constitutes copyright infringement. The book publishing industry experienced a $3 billion spike in sales by 2021, despite the pandemic and IA's National Emergency Library. Publishers are concerned that there are already some libraries avoiding paying e-book licensing fees by partnering with IA and making their own copies.