Authors, Publishers Condemn The 'National Emergency Library' As 'Piracy'
Citing the coronavirus, the Internet Archive expanded its lending program for the digital copies of millions of books. But many writers and publishers say it is sharing their work without permission.
Last week, when the Internet Archive announced its "National Emergency Library," expanding access to more than a million digitized works, the group explained the move as a goodwill gesture in the time of coronavirus.
With so many brick-and-mortar libraries forced to close their doors, in other words, the group was opening up its lending program: Now, instead of its usual policy of just one digital copy per reader for a 14-day period, many frustrated readers could borrow copies of the same book during the same time — and could
