The government has blocked access to the Internet Archive in an effort to stop online piracy of movies. The step was taken after the Madras High Court on August 2 had ordered internet providers to block the nearly two-decade-old digital library and 2,500-plus other websites.

Production houses Red Chillies Entertainment and Prakash Jha Productions, the makers of Jab Harry Met Sejal and Lipstick Under My Burkha, had approached the court seeking a ban on websites that were streaming or hosting these movies.

The Internet Archive allows people to see old versions of websites through its wayback machine, and hosts a lot of other free content. The block was first reported by Medianama. However, the digital library was not aware of the ban initially. “Obviously, we are disappointed and concerned…and are eager to understand why it’s happening and see full access restored,” its office manager, Chris Butler, had told Medianama.