Tegan and Sara, Cadence Weapon join fight to save Internet Archive from $621M US lawsuit
Over 300 musicians, including Canadian stars Tegan and Sara and Polaris Music Prize winner Cadence Weapon, have come together to show their support for the Internet Archive in the face of a massive $621 million US copyright infringement lawsuit filed by UMG Recordings, Capitol Records, Concord Bicycle Assets, CMGI Recorded Music Assets, Sony Music, and Arista Music.
The open letter, created by digital advocacy group Fight for the Future, aims to rally support for the Internet Archive’s Great 78 Project, which is dedicated to preserving 78 rpm records. This project has already saved over 400,000 recordings, including works by legendary artists such as Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more.
The musicians who have signed the letter are vehemently opposed to the lawsuit, stating that the Internet Archive is a crucial non-profit institution that should not be destroyed in the name of copyright protection. They believe that the major record labels need to come up with better ways to support artists, rather than targeting organizations like the Internet Archive.
The lawsuit alleges that the Great 78 Project is operating as an “illegal record store” by reproducing and distributing copyrighted works without permission. However, the project’s goal is to create a digital reference collection of underrepresented artists and genres, making rare music accessible to researchers without causing harm to physical artifacts.
According to the lawsuit, the Internet Archive’s actions go beyond preservation and research, as they aim to provide free and unlimited access to music regardless of copyright. Fight for the Future’s campaigns and communications director, Lia Holland, has criticized the lawsuit as yet another example of the music industry’s greed and bullying tactics, which are not aligned with the interests of musicians.
In addition to Tegan and Sara and Cadence Weapon, other notable signatories of the letter include Kathleen Hanna, Cloud Nothings, Amanda Palmer, and Backxwash, highlighting the widespread support for the Internet Archive within the music community. It is clear that musicians, archivists, and music fans deserve better than what is currently being offered by the industry, and it is time for positive change to take place.
