A diverse coalition of artists has united to voice objection to a $621 million copyright infringement lawsuit against the Internet Archive. The lawsuit claims the Archive is violating copyright rules under the “smokescreen” of their Great 78 Project, which aims to digitize vinyl records produced between the late-1800s and the 1950s. A portion of the Great 78 collection includes work from well-known acts like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The plaintiffs and some estates of included artists claim the project is unlawfully reproducing and distributing works under copyright.

The case is being led by music rights holders Universal Music Group and Sony Music, while the objection includes support from artists such as Amanda Palmer, Deerhoof, Real Estate, Ted Leo, Kathleen Hannah and Cloud Nothings. A judgement against the Internet Archive at the scale of $621M could bankrupt the organization.

It’s an ironic gut punch to musicians and audiences alike to see that the Internet Archive could be destroyed in the name of protecting musicians. For decades, the Internet Archive has had the backs of creators of all kinds when no one else was there to protect us, making sure that old recordings, live shows, websites like MTV News, and diverse information and culture from all over the world had a place where they’d never, ever be erased, carving out a haven where all that creativity and storytelling was recognized as a critically valuable contribution to an important historic archive. – Amanda Palmer

The Internet Archive does important work at the intersection of digital culture and public access. The work needs to continue and you can help ensure that it does.