Judge Rules in Favor of Publishers in Lawsuit Against Internet Archive, Upholding Copyright Rights in the Digital Age

A federal judge has ruled in favor of four publishers in a lawsuit against the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization that offers free access to millions of copyrighted works.

Judge John G. Koeltl of U.S. District Court in Manhattan ruled that the Internet Archive was producing “derivative” works that required permission of the copyright holder. The Archive was not transforming the books in question into something new, but simply scanning them and lending them as ebooks from its website.

The Internet Archive was founded in 1996 with a mission of making information widely available. The Archive has argued that its actions are protected by fair use laws, and announced it would appeal Friday’s decision.

The four publishers, which sued the Archive for copyright infringement, welcomed the ruling. “This decision is a victory for authors, publishers, and readers,” said Maria A. Pallante, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers. “It confirms that the Internet Archive’s mass digitization and lending of copyrighted works is illegal.”

The case is the latest in a series of legal battles over the rights of copyright holders in the digital age. The ruling is expected to have implications for other digital libraries and archives that offer free access to copyrighted works.