November 5, 2025
A trillion pages, a half‑million ghosts
Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost
Trillion‑page party, half‑million‑book funeral—commenters are furious, split, and loud
TLDR: The Internet Archive ended its lawsuits but lost over 500,000 e‑books from Open Library, even as it celebrated major milestones. Commenters are split: some blame IA’s pandemic lending, others condemn publishers and tech giants, while readers mourn vanished access and argue over whether to scale back or double down on new projects.
The Internet Archive just threw a victory bash—trillionth webpage saved, a San Francisco “Internet Archive Day,” and even a nod as a federal depository library. But behind the confetti, founder Brewster Kahle is grieving: more than 500,000 e‑books vanished from its Open Library after bruising lawsuits. The vibes in the comments? Raging, roasting, and very, very divided.
One camp is scolding IA for poking the bear during the pandemic. “That’s what happens when you practically beg publishers to sue you,” sneers one critic, framing the National Emergency Library (temporary unlimited lending) as a legal own goal. Others blast “greedy” media giants, arguing if tech giants profit, it’s fine—but when a nonprofit tries to broaden access, the hammer drops. The anti-corporate rallying cry—“Information wants to be free”—is everywhere, with one user saying modern capitalism would sue public libraries out of existence today.
Confusion adds to the chaos. “Is the feature gone?” asks a reader about borrowing with a local library card, tapping into the grief of book lovers who watched digital shelves go dark. Some fans cheer new plans like Democracy’s Library, but skeptics clap back: “please just stop… let IA be what it is.” The memes write themselves: a trillion‑page party, half‑million‑book funeral, “better fire‑proofing, not lawsuit‑proofing,” and a collective “Press F for Open Library.”
Key Points
- •The Internet Archive celebrated the Wayback Machine’s trillionth archived webpage and was honored with “Internet Archive Day” in San Francisco.
- •Sen. Alex Padilla designated the Internet Archive as a federal depository library to expand access to digital federal publications.
- •Years of litigation led to the removal of more than 500,000 books from IA’s Open Library; IA now reports no major active lawsuits.
- •IA’s National Emergency Library during COVID-19 prompted publisher lawsuits; in 2024 IA lost its final appeal over its lending model.
- •Potential damages in the Open Library case could have exceeded $400 million, but a confidential monetary settlement avoided bankrupting IA; IA also settled a suit over its Great 78 Project.