Friday, April 19, 2024
The Z-Library digital platform, which allows users to download academic papers and books illegally, had its internet domains confiscated by the FBI on Friday.
Users from all across the world can freely access books through Z-Library, a shadow library or database that includes everything from the newest bestsellers and unpublished advance reader copies to academic texts and periodicals recommended by universities.
The website claimed to have been offering free e-books since 2009 and allowed non-paying customers to download up to five books per day.
Users who attempted to access the site this weekend using a number of URLs encountered a blocker that indicated the FBI had seized the website domain, reports The Hindu.
“This domain has been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in accordance with a warrant issued pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981(b) and 21 U.S.C. § 853(f) by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York as part of a law enforcement action by: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and The Federal Bureau of Investigation,” stated the banner.
Z-Library has a strong presence in emerging economies and academic circles, where readers are often unable to afford the books or paywalled papers they require for study. Most traditional publishers stand against shadow libraries such as LibGen, Z-Library, and SciHub, which they claim violate copyright laws and deprive authors of their rightful earnings.
In September this year, Z-Library had a collection of around 11,087,784 books and 84,837,645 articles.
The latest seizure of Z-Library’s domains by the FBI comes months after a Delhi court ordered several Indian internet service providers to block one of the site’s most well-known URLs, on the basis of a complaint filed by the Taxmann publishing company.
Several Z-Library users on Twitter blamed the FBI seizure of the domains on TikTok users who popularised the shadow library through their videos. However, the site was reportedly still accessible via other Internet browsers.
