Public TV Channel Sues Over Lost Archives

Data Center Dispute

A St. Louis PBS station is taking action after losing access to decades of archives. Nine PBS is suing Iron Mountain, a data center, to recover its lost data.

The station had bought cloud storage from a vendor, Open Source Storage, which has now gone out of business. The vendor cut off access to the data on the day its contract expired, leaving Nine PBS without its archives. The lost data spans over 70 years and includes roughly 50 terabytes of storage.

What Happens to Lost Data?

Iron Mountain claims it never had access to the data, arguing it only rented physical space to Open Source Storage. The company says handing over a third party's hardware would be a breach. Nine PBS, however, is seeking to recover its lost archives, which include valuable historical recordings and footage.

The station's archives are a significant part of its history, and the loss of this data is a major setback. The archives include recordings of local events, interviews, and cultural programs. Nine PBS is arguing that Iron Mountain should be responsible for ensuring the data is protected and accessible.

The case raises questions about the responsibility of data centers and cloud storage vendors. What happens to data when a vendor goes out of business? Who is responsible for ensuring the data is protected and accessible? These are critical questions that need to be answered to prevent similar cases in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

The consequences of this case are significant, and the outcome will have implications for data storage and protection. If Nine PBS is unable to recover its archives, it will be a major loss for the station and the community it serves. The case highlights the importance of ensuring that data is properly protected and accessible, even in the event of a vendor going out of business.

What is the significance of the lost data? The lost data includes over 70 years of archives, including historical recordings and footage, which are a significant part of the station's history. How is Iron Mountain responding to the lawsuit? Iron Mountain claims it never had access to the data and is arguing that handing over a third party's hardware would be a breach. What are the implications of this case? The case raises questions about the responsibility of data centers and cloud storage vendors, and the outcome will have implications for data storage and protection.