Copyright Orders Force Geo‑Blocking

Belgium’s copyright authority ordered the Internet Archive to block listed Open Library books inside Belgium within 20 days or pay a €500,000 fine, and to prevent their future digital lending. This uses national copyright law to compel a foreign nonprofit to implement country‑level content controls, sidestepping U.S. fair‑use claims. — It signals a broader move toward fragmented, jurisdiction‑by‑jurisdiction control of online libraries and platforms, constraining fair‑use models and accelerating internet balkanization.