Sony and other music labels settle copyright lawsuit against the Internet Archive

In a recent development, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and other music labels have reached a settlement with the Internet Archive over the Great 78 Project, which aimed to preserve and digitize 78 rpm shellac records. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, focused on 2,749 recordings by iconic artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong. The labels argued that the tracks were already available through various music services and that the Internet Archive's actions infringed on their copyrights. The details of the settlement agreement have not been made public, and both parties have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit within 45 days. This settlement comes after the Internet Archive lost a previous lawsuit filed by US publishers over its National Emergency Library project, which made 1.4 million ebooks available during the pandemic. The outcome of this case highlights the ongoing tensions between content creators, distributors, and platforms when it comes to digital preservation and access.