Internet Archive’s big battle with music publishers ends in settlement

A major legal dispute has concluded with a settlement between the Internet Archive and several music publishers, including UMG Recordings, Capitol Records, and Sony Music Entertainment. This lawsuit revolved around the Great 78 Project, an initiative aimed at preserving early music recordings that are at risk due to their fragile shellac format. While specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, a court document filed on Monday confirmed that all parties involved have reached an agreement. In the coming 45 days, the involved parties are expected to submit necessary documents to officially dismiss the lawsuit, though the exact settlement amount is unlikely to be made public. Prior to the resolution, there were indications that all parties except the Internet Archive and its founder, Brewster Kahle, had consented to a joint settlement. This included George Blood, the recording engineer for the Great 78 Project, who was also implicated in the legal action. Following the settlement announcement, the Internet Archive confirmed on its blog that a confidential resolution had been achieved, stating that no further comments would be made regarding the case. The Internet Archive's mission to digitize around 3 million recordings is crucial for historians documenting the evolution of recorded music. The lawsuit posed a significant threat to their efforts, with music publishers initially claiming damages of $400 million, suggesting they had lost potential streaming revenue due to the availability of these recordings. Despite the Internet Archive's argument that actual downloads and streams were minimal, the situation escalated in March when the publishers increased their estimated damages to $700 million by adding more alleged infringements. This aggressive stance raised concerns among some historians about the long-term implications of such a fight for the music industry.