Independent booksellers across multiple countries have reported an unprecedented surge in large bulk orders for secondhand books in recent months, marking a significant shift from typical sales patterns. Stuart Manley, proprietor of Barter Books in Northumberland, noted that a single order from a Canadian company matched his expected weekly sales volume—a scale he had not encountered during his three decades in the trade. Similar reports have emerged from booksellers globally, though the ultimate destination and purpose of these purchases remain unclear to the sellers.
The spike in demand has been linked to developments in artificial intelligence technology, particularly following a 2025 US court ruling that determined using books to train AI systems did not constitute copyright infringement. Judge William Alsup ruled that AI firm Anthropic’s use of authors’ works was “exceedingly transformative” and thus permissible under American copyright law. When related court documents were made public, they revealed references to “Project Panama,” an initiative involving the destructive scanning of books at industrial scale—a process that removes book spines to rapidly digitize pages before recycling the physical materials.
The practice has generated concern among booksellers and preservation advocates. David Tobin, who operates Walden Books in London, expressed discomfort with the possibility that books being sold could ultimately be destroyed, though he acknowledged the benefit of moving inventory that had languished for years. Derek Walker, owner of McNaughtan’s in Edinburgh, distinguished between common titles and rare historical editions, noting that destruction of unique surviving copies from earlier centuries would represent a more significant cultural loss than recycling multiple copies of contemporary bestsellers.
Legal experts highlight jurisdictional differences in copyright protections. Emily Hudson, an intellectual property specialist at Oxford University, noted that UK copyright law differs substantially from American precedent, requiring permission from copyright holders for copying and training activities. Despite ethical reservations about book destruction, some booksellers acknowledge the practical benefits of increased sales and the clearing of warehouse space, particularly for titles with limited public demand. Manley observed that books languishing unsold for two decades have found new markets, suggesting the phenomenon addresses genuine inventory challenges even as questions persist about the broader implications for rare and historically significant volumes.
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