Crucially, the Internet Archive operates as a legal library under US copyright law’s doctrine of "Fair Use" and controlled digital lending. While the official legal status of uploading commercial films is murky (the Archive relies on rights holders to issue DMCA takedowns), the site has become a de facto preservation hub for "orphaned works"—media whose copyright owners are unknown or unresponsive.
Film historians argue that the Archive is doing essential work. When the official Blu-ray release from Hong Kong (released by Kam & Ronson in 2010) went out of print and sold for $200, the film was effectively dead to the average person. The Internet Archive ensures that The Killer remains in the cultural conversation. As one user commented on the Archive page: "I own two physical copies. I still downloaded this because I want my students to watch it. It’s impossible to screen otherwise." the killer 1989 internet archive