Over 600 musicians and artists have signed an open letter demanding Universal Music Group (UMG) and other major music labels drop their $621 million lawsuit against the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library.

Notable signatories include Tegan & Sara, Open Mike Eagle, Amanda Palmer, and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna. The letter, organized by Fight for the Future, outlines three key demands:

1. Partner with organizations like the Internet Archive to preserve original recordings and music culture
2. Allow musicians to keep 100% of merchandise sales
3. End vertical investments in streaming services like Spotify

The lawsuit specifically targets the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project, which preserves over 400,000 historical recordings from 78 RPM records, including works by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra.

Artists argue that while the music industry projects revenues exceeding $100 billion by 2031, musicians struggle with:

• Live Nation's monopolistic touring practices
• Unfair streaming revenue models
• Demonetization and censorship by digital service providers
• Limited preservation of musical heritage

If successful, the lawsuit could require the Internet Archive to pay $621 million in damages for music streamed since 2006. This legal challenge follows the Archive's recent loss in a separate lawsuit with book publishers over ebook lending practices.

The campaign emphasizes the need to protect cultural institutions while supporting working artists' interests over shareholder profits.

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