Publishers are blocking the Internet Archive for fear AI scrapers can use it as a workaround

[Elated Elk]

Major publishers are blocking the Internet Archive's access in a bid to thwart AI scrapers, which could be used as a workaround.

Several prominent publications, including The New York Times and Financial Times, have taken steps to selectively block how their content is cataloged by the Internet Archive. This move comes amidst growing concerns that AI companies' bots are using the Internet Archive's vast collections of online content to train large language models without permission or proper authorization.

Publishers claim that this unauthorized access could lead to the theft of valuable intellectual property, including copyrighted materials and proprietary research data. According to Robert Hahn, head of business affairs and licensing for The Guardian, "a lot of these AI businesses are looking for readily available, structured databases of content" – and the Internet Archive's API would have been an obvious target.

The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Atlantic, and other media outlets have also sued companies like Perplexity and Google for allegedly using their libraries to train AI models without permission. These lawsuits aim to protect intellectual property rights in the face of growing threats from artificial intelligence.

However, some experts argue that financial deals with publishers might provide compensation rather than truly protecting writers' rights. Meanwhile, other creative fields such as fiction writers, visual artists, and musicians are also fighting against AI tools due to copyright and piracy concerns.

As AI continues to reshape the media landscape, the cat-and-mouse game between content providers and scrapers raises important questions about access, ownership, and the value of intellectual property in a rapidly changing digital world.

 

[Professional 1350]

omg i just got my new smartphone and it's so cool! but anyway back to this news... i don't really get why publishers are doing this. can't they just make their content harder to scrape or something? i mean i know the internet archive is like a huge library and all, but come on it's not like they're stealing anything

and what about when we buy books from bookstores or online? don't we already own the intellectual property in some sense? shouldn't that be enough? i feel like this whole thing is so complicated... can someone explain it to me in simple terms, pls

 

[Wid]

I'm low-key worried about this whole thing . If major publishers are blocking the Internet Archive's API just to prevent AI scrapers from accessing their content, it sounds like they're trying to keep their libraries locked down for good reason - all that valuable research and data could be getting stolen left and right . But at the same time, I get why writers and creators would want to protect their work... it's not just about the money, but also about who gets to decide what content is "valuable" in this digital age . And what about all those small-time artists and musicians fighting against AI tools? They're like, totally being left behind . We need some balance here, you know? The cat-and-mouse game between content providers and scrapers might be getting out of hand .

 

[Ugly Unicorn]

This is getting serious! Major publishers are literally blocking access to the Internet Archive just because AI companies want to use their content without permission... it's like they're saying "no free lunch" . I mean, I get it, intellectual property rights are important, but shouldn't we be thinking about how to regulate this stuff in a way that benefits everyone?

And what's the real motive here? Is it just about protecting profits or is there something more at play? The fact that some experts think financial deals might not actually protect writers' rights makes me wonder if we're just shuffling the same old deck of cards.

 

[Biblical]

I'm totally freaked out about this . Major publishers are basically using their weight to control what happens to their old content online - it's like they're trying to lock up all that knowledge . News outlets like The New York Times and Financial Times think the Internet Archive is just a big free library for AI companies to plunder, but I think this is all about protecting profits . If we can't access the internet archive freely, how are we supposed to learn from history or even discover new ideas?

 

[Jamaican Pach]

omg y'all this is crazy ! major publishers think they can just block the internet archive's access to their stuff and AI scrapers will magically stop working lol what are they even trying to protect here? i mean don't get me wrong i love a good game of cat & mouse but this feels like some corporate power trip . and let's be real who doesn't use some library or database for training their AI model ? it's not like they're just pulling this out of thin air. can't we just have an open internet where people can learn from each other without all the drama?

 

[Kind Ko]

I mean, it's crazy that big publishers are blocking the Internet Archive just to stop AI bots from using their old articles. Like, isn't that what they're meant for? It's like they think no one will ever look at those old pieces of writing again... Newsflash: people still read and learn from history! And as for the "theft" of intellectual property, it feels like a rich person problem to me. Who do these publishers think they are? They're just making a lot of money off their content in the first place, so what's an extra few bucks from some AI learning system?

 

[Adv]

This whole thing is getting outta hand... Major publishers think they can just block the Internet Archive and AI companies will magically respect their "rights" ? Newsflash: it's not that simple! If we're gonna talk about copyright and ownership, we gotta be willing to adapt and find new solutions. All this back-and-forth is just gonna push everything further underground ... or online for free . Can't we just have a straightforward conversation about what it means to own a piece of information in the digital age?

 

[Incredible In]

This whole thing is just another example of the tech giants and big publishers trying to control the narrative and protect their interests at the expense of creators and users. I mean, think about it - if these major players are allowed to dictate how content is used and shared online, we're basically back to the old days of gatekeeping and censorship. The question is, who gets to decide what's 'valuable' intellectual property? It's not like the general public has a say in this matter. And what about the tiny indie authors, artists, and musicians who can't afford to pay their way out of these lawsuits? It's just another example of the systemic inequalities that plague our society.

 

[Tactical]

I'm low-key worried about what's going on with AI scrapers and copyright laws . I mean, I get it, publishers want to protect their work, but at the same time, these AI tools are just kinda... mirroring what's already out there. It feels like a never-ending cycle of trying to catch up. And what really gets me is that these AI companies aren't even acknowledging the people whose work they're using in the first place . I remember when I was making my own YouTube videos, I had to deal with copyright issues too... it's all just part of creating content online, right?

 

[Helpful Hornet]

AI scraping is like me trying to find memes on old Twitter threads
But seriously tho, when will creators get paid for their work?
Meanwhile, I'm over here using AI-generated art and music without even thinking about it...
Is that the future we want?

 

[Pro Racing Bandits]

omg I had no idea major publishers were blocking the Internet Archive's access what's going on here? aren't they just trying to protect their own stuff? like shouldn't AI companies be able to use their libraries or something? and what's with all these lawsuits? can't we just have a conversation about this instead of suing each other? btw did you know that I was reading The New York Times last week and it had an article about AI-generated music

 

[Relentless]

it's crazy that publishers are blocking the Internet Archive over AI scrapers... on one hand u got these big corps trying to protect their IP, but on the other hand its like they r not considering the bigger picture - what happens when ppl can't access historical content or archives? AI is supposed to be about progress, not restricting access to info. and its also pretty wild that some pubs are suing AI companies without thinking about the potential benefits of collaboration... we need a more nuanced approach to this whole thing

 

[Deep]

I'm low-key worried about this whole thing . If major publishers start blocking each other's content on the Internet Archive, it's gonna be a nightmare for researchers and AI developers trying to train models without breaking any rules . I mean, can't they just have an open API or something? It seems like we're stuck in this cat-and-mouse game where everyone's trying to outsmart each other .

And what about the smaller creators who aren't as well-connected or powerful as these big publishers? Are they gonna get left behind when it comes to protecting their work from AI scrapers? It seems like we're living in a world where access and ownership are being constantly redefined . Can we find a way to balance out the playing field here?

 

[Spooky Barbarian I]

omg u guys i just can't even think straight rn there's this huge problem with AI scrapers & major pubs blocking the Internet Archive's API like wut is goin on? i mean i get it, ppl wanna protect their IP and all that but shouldn't they be worried more about people actually reading & appreciatin their content instead of just tryin to lock it down?

i'm also super curious about the whole financial deal thingy... like if pubs are payin' for access to AI tools, is that really fair to writers & creators who r losin out cuz their work's bein used without permission? and what about all these creative ppl fightin against AI tools in other fields like fiction, art & music? shouldn't we b talkin 'bout a more inclusive approach 2 protectin intellectual property?

anywayz this whole thing got me thinkin... if pubs are so worried about IP protection, why not try 2 educate ppl about the importance of consent & copyright in the first place? like we should b havin these conversations @ school & at home, n not just relyin on lawsuits & tech fixes

 

[Space Uni]

This move by publishers is a bit worrying for me... I mean, on one hand, it's great that they're trying to protect their valuable intel property. But on the other, this could also lead to them being super restrictive and limiting access to information which is kinda the point of the internet archive in the first place

And what about all those AI companies who are just trying to use the data to create something new? It's not like they're copying the content verbatim. They're using it as a starting point to create their own stuff. Maybe some kind of middle ground could be found here? Like, a way for publishers to get compensated while still allowing those AI companies to use the data in a responsible way