‘More than just objects’: Australian booksellers raise alarm over ‘horrific’ destruction of rare titles to feed AI
Australian rare and secondhand booksellers are raising alarm that old books may be caught up in a supply chain feeding artificial intelligence companies, which are believed to be scanning and then destroying physical texts to train their models. The concern follows a US copyright lawsuit against Anthropic, in which unsealed court files revealed the company had engaged in "destructive scanning" — buying physical books, slicing off the spines and pulping the remains after digitising them, while trying to keep the practice quiet. A US judge ruled the practice lawful as "transformative use" under copyright law, and it is now understood to be widespread across the generative AI industry.
Vendors preparing for the Melbourne Rare Book Fair, including Tim White of Books for Cooks, say the physical object often carries as much value as its contents, making destruction of unique or storied items particularly distressing. Several Australian sellers reported unusual bulk orders from a Canadian company called Zoom Books, a self-described "book recycler", placed through marketplaces such as Abebooks and Biblio. Delfina Manor of Good Reading Secondhand Books in Benalla, Victoria, said she received an order for 30 to 40 books across three boxes in May, paid promptly and without quibbling over postage, but asked the company not to order in such volume again after the effort of fulfilling it.
In short
- Australian booksellers fear rare books are being destroyed to train AI models
- Anthropic lawsuit revealed "destructive scanning" — scanning then pulping books
- Canadian firm Zoom Books placed unusually large bulk orders with sellers
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
AI models require substantial training data to function effectively, and these companies are legally purchasing books whilst compensating sellers. Digital copies preserve content indefinitely, ensuring information is not truly lost. Courts have ruled this constitutes transformative use, and recycling finite physical resources after extracting their value is environmentally responsible.
The case against
Books are cultural artefacts with inherent value beyond content; first editions, signed copies and historically significant volumes cannot be replaced once destroyed. These bulk purchasing practices lack transparency and author consent, whilst destruction permanently damages material integrity, provenance and bookbinding craftsmanship. Society should preserve cultural heritage for future generations rather than consume it for commercial convenience.
Explained simply
Artificial intelligence companies train computer systems using large collections of text. Some books can be scanned to make digital copies, and reports about a US court case have raised questions about whether physical books are then destroyed and how copyright law applies.
Rare and secondhand booksellers deal in books valued for their contents, age, rarity or history. Some say the physical book itself can matter as much as the words inside, especially when an item is unique or has a particular story.
The issue matters because unusual bulk orders from a Canadian book-recycling company have prompted questions among Australian sellers about where their books may go. Understanding the route from bookseller to buyer can help clarify whether rare or old titles are entering a supply chain linked to AI training.