Music labels are escalating their legal battle against the Internet Archive (IA), aiming to add nearly 500 more sound recordings to a lawsuit accusing IA of mass copyright infringement. The Great 78 Project, which digitizes 3 million 78 RPM records from 1898 to the 1950s, is at the center of this dispute. If the court accepts the labels’ motion, the damages sought could rise to almost $700 million, up from an initial $400 million. The labels argue that these 493 new recordings are evidence of ongoing infringement post-2023. If IA loses, each of the 4,624 recordings could result in $150,000 in damages. IA maintains that the project falls under fair use, but the labels liken it to a music streaming service, alleging it deprives artists of royalties. The case’s outcome remains uncertain, with some experts questioning the likelihood of maximum damages being awarded.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
