Supreme Court rules against music industry in piracy case

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Cox Communications is not liable for damages after continuing to provide internet service to customers flagged for piracy, stating that Cox merely provided internet access used for many purposes beyond infringement.
• The music industry had sought $1 billion in damages, arguing Cox enabled widespread illegal distribution of copyrighted music by failing to act on repeated piracy notifications.
• Cox contended that holding ISPs liable for users' piracy would force them to cut off internet access broadly, affecting institutions like universities and hospitals, and received support from the Department of Justice, tech companies, and the ACLU.
• The court rejected the lower court's ruling that imposed liability based on failure to prevent piracy without active assistance, emphasizing that ISPs are not responsible for users' illegal actions solely because they provide internet service.
• The music industry argued Cox ignored reasonable measures to curb piracy despite multiple infringement notices, but the Supreme Court decision limits the industry's ability to hold ISPs accountable for user copyright violations.