Sony, Other Music Labels Sue Over Sinatra 78s Stored Online.

This article focuses on a lawsuit filed by Sony Music Entertainment and five other major music companies against the non-profit Internet Archive, alleging that the Archive's online posting of thousands of old songs and recordings constitutes copyright infringement. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, cites 2,749 specific recordings, including works by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, and seeks removal of the copyrighted material along with damages up to $150,000 per infringed work. The Internet Archive's Great 78 Project hosts digitized 78 rpm records, claiming its purpose is preservation and research, but the record companies argue these recordings are already available through authorized services and protected under the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The case is UMG Recordings Inc. v. Internet Archive in the Southern District of New York.