New Book, Lawsuit Allege IBM Hid Nazi-Era Past. Of course, the perpetration of atrocities expands to utilize the efficiencies of the information processing capacity available to it. But to what extent was IBM a willing accomplice to the Nazi regime? Germany was its second-ranked sales territory despite an international ban on trade with the Third Reich.

The attorney pursuing the lawsuit, and the author of the book (which , curiously enough, was substantially based on corporate correspondence IBM made available through academic research libraries) both assert that IBM’s database technology made possible the cross-indexing of names, addreses, genealogical data and bank accounts without which the Holocaust would have been far less efficient. But are we imposing our obsession with the pervasive effects of technology on modern life on an era that does not warrant it? Historians by and large have yet to weigh in on the issues raised by the book, partially because its content was kept secret until publication.