The Internet Archive loses legal battle against major publishers

A couple of months ago, we reported that more than half a million books were going to be wiped from the Internet Archive. At the time, the Internet Archive was fighting a legal battle to try and keep hold of these books.

However, the court has ruled in favour of major publishers, that claimed the National Emergency Library - a service that allowed people to access millions of books after libraries closed during COVID - was effectively piracy.

It seemed judges agreed, and now the Internet Archive will no longer be able to scan and preserve hundreds of thousands of books. The internet has stood in support of the Internet Archive, arguing that it doesn't make sense how a service preserving information can be targeted by publishers but other aspects of the internet that strip user data for advertisers are left untouched.

What's your take on all this?