Internet Archive Faces $621 Million Legal Battle Over Frank Sinatra Recordings

Sep 29, 2024, 01:10 PM

The Internet Archive, a crucial digital library founded by Brewster Kahle, is facing a $621 million legal battle with major record labels, including UMG, over copyright issues related to approximately 4,100 old recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra. The labels claim that the Archive's Great 78 Project, which preserves historical recordings, displaces legal streams and sales, impacting royalties and revenue. Kahle defends the Archive as a research library aimed at preserving an accurate version of the past, warning against a future where history can be manipulated in an Orwellian manner. The case has garnered significant attention, with many emphasizing the importance of the Archive for historical and cultural preservation amid its existential battles.