> What law does explicitly allow the NEL?

> If I recall correctly, the Internet Archive decided unilaterally that they would do this due to many libraries being closed.

Exactly.

It's not even clear that "controlled digital lending" is in compliance with copyright law[1].

The NEL or "uncontrolled digital lending" is almost certainly not in compliance with the copyright statutes.

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1. It's not specifically allowed, and there hasn't been any case law on it. To see arguments for controlled digital lending, go here: https://controlleddigitallending.org/whitepaper

There is no law permitting this - IA main legal argument it:

> Our principal legal argument for controlled digital lending is that fair use— an “equitable rule of reason”—permits libraries to do online what they have always done with physical collections under the first sale doctrine: lend books

http://blog.archive.org/2020/03/30/internet-archive-responds...

They are saying digital is equivalent to physical which is the same exact argument vidangel tried and lost a year or two ago

Which law specifically bans the NEL? The IA seems to be arguing copyright law doesn't because it's covered under fair use.