Save the Songs: Decentralise the Internet Archive's Music Collection
Logos
First they came for the 78s, and I did not speak out…
In 2023, major record labels sued the not-for-profit Internet Archive for almost $400 million over its “Great 78 Project”. Since then, the labels have attempted to add 493 more recordings to the ongoing complaint, bringing the total in claimed damages to an absurd $621 million. If successful, the legal action threatens not only these rare historical sound recordings but the very existence of a piece of critical Internet infrastructure.
Internet Archive is a digital library that provides access to millions of cultural artefacts, including literature, audio, and video. The resource supports the research of authors and academics around the world. In the words of author Larry Dieterich:
“The Internet Archive is the most useful library. I honestly don’t think that the research I am doing would succeed without the resources provided by the Internet Archive.”
The Great 78 Project seeks to digitise some of the earliest recorded music, preserving it for generations to come. The initiative appealed for collectors to donate historic 78 rpm recordings for digital archiving. These artefacts allow researchers to cast an ear into the past. However, the increasingly rare shellac discs – precursors to the more durable vinyl used for later recordings – are extremely vulnerable to damage.
While the disappearance of these recordings would be a tragic loss for our cultural heritage, the collateral damage of the lawsuit would have much graver implications. Calling the action an “existential threat to the Internet Archive and everything we preserve”, Chris Freeland, the archive’s Director of Library Services, wrote in an appeal to defend the project:
“At a time when digital information is disappearing, being rewritten, or erased entirely, the tools to preserve history must be defended – not dismantled.”
We call upon the Logos community to support the Internet Archive in its time of need. Take action now and sign the petition to demand an immediate end to the record labels’ legal vendetta against humanity’s musical legacy.
Civilisation dies without robust archiving
Durable archiving is not only crucial to the preservation of human cultures, it’s vital to the way we organise, govern, and progress together. Those behind the Internet Archive understand this well and their mission statement “universal access to all knowledge” shows it.
Whether physical or digital, centralised archives are vulnerable – ideas Logos cofounder Jarrad Hope and philosopher Peter Ludlow explore in a Logos Press Engine article titled “Obsessed with Archives” and their forthcoming book, Farewell to Westphalia:
“Archives are not only under threat from conquistadors and revolutionaries and fire and earthquakes. Because they are under centralised control, they are also vulnerable to the corruption and ineptitude of record keepers.”
Logos wholeheartedly supports the Internet Archive and similar efforts to prevent the eradication and distortion of our collective memory. Yet, while such projects run on centralised internet infrastructure, they remain at the mercy of external forces seeking to destroy or manipulate them, whether driven by profits or more malicious intent.
We’re building Codex as an open-source data storage protocol to allow any individual or community to durably preserve and decentralise the cultural artefacts that define their legacy. Now is the time to join this mission to defend truth and protect open knowledge for future generations.
Logos stands with the Internet Archive. Sign the petition now. If you’re a software developer, build Codex with us; if you care about making knowledge accessible for the benefit of all, be part of Logos.
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Pavol Lupták
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