UMG, Sony and Capitol sue Internet Archive over ‘Great 78 Project’
nme.comFrank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Internet Archive describes it as a hub for “the preservation, research and discovery of 78rpm records”.In the lawsuit filed on August 11, the labels claim that the project violates copyright laws by stating “transferring copies of those files to members of the public, Internet Archive has reproduced and distributed without authorization Plaintiffs’ protected sound recordings”.The plaintiffs, who also include Arista Music, Concord Bicycle Assets and CMGI Recorded Music Assets, are seeking damages of up to $150,000 per infringed track.
The labels, who own either full or partial copyrights to the music in the collection, have alleged that the recordings were illegally distributed to Internet Archive users “millions of times”.According to the complaint, “Defendants attempt to defend their wholesale theft of generations of music under the guise of ‘preservation and research,’ but this is a smokescreen: their activities far exceed those limited purposes.
Internet Archive unabashedly seeks to provide free and unlimited access to music for everyone, regardless of copyright.”The suit further alleges: “In truth, Defendants’ malfeasance springs from their disregard for copyright law and the rights of artists and content owners.
Internet Archive and the other Defendants have a long history of opposing, fighting, and ignoring copyright law, proclaiming that their zealotry serves the public good.
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