📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Internet Archive Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Myspace Dragon Hoard’
https://torrentfreak.com/internet-archive-faces-copyright-lawsuit-over-myspace-dragon-hoard/
Internet Archive in Copyright Standoff Over “Myspace Dragon Hoard”
The Internet Archive (IA), the digital preservation nonprofit behind the Wayback Machine, is now facing a high-stakes copyright lawsuit over its hosting of the so-called “Myspace Dragon Hoard” — a cache of ~490,000 music files uploaded by anonymous researchers after Myspace accidentally wiped 50 million songs in 2019.
IA celebrates the haul as a historic抢救 (rescue) of lost musical heritage. But musician Anthony Martino says it’s a violation — his songs were uploaded without permission, even though he had taken them down from Myspace years before the deletion. His amended complaint demands up to $8.85 million in damages (at $150,000 per work), citing not just the digital files but also scanned CD liner notes and lyrics.
IA denies liability, arguing:
- It didn’t upload the files — academics did.
- DMCA safe harbor shields it from third-party uploads.
- Martino’s original license to Myspace didn’t bar redistribution by others.
Martino counters that IA actively promoted the hoard and failed to fully comply with takedown requests — pointing to tweets by IA’s Jason Scott as evidence of involvement.
With trial possibly slated for April 2027, the case could set important precedents on digital preservation, licensing, and whether “good Samaritan” archiving can override copyright — especially when the original platform itself lost the data. 🐉⚖️
(Source: TorrentFreak)