Supreme Court sides with Cox Communications in copyright dispute over pirated music
CBS News • • business
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that internet service provider Cox Communications cannot be held liable for copyright infringement committed by its subscribers, reversing a lower court's decision.
- The case originated from a 2018 lawsuit by Sony Music and other companies alleging Cox was responsible for willful infringement because it continued providing internet services to known infringers, with a jury initially awarding $1 billion in damages.
- Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, emphasized that Cox is only liable if it intended its service to be used for infringement, noting Cox took measures like warnings and account terminations to discourage piracy.
- Cox hailed the decision as a victory for the broadband industry and internet users, while the Recording Industry Association of America expressed disappointment and called for policymakers to consider the ruling's impact.
- Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson concurred with the verdict but disagreed with the majority's reasoning, stating that Cox lacked the necessary intent to be held liable under aiding-and-abetting principles.
.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26height%3D630%26fit%3Dcrop%26enable%3Dupscale%26auto%3Dwebp?format=webp&w=120&h=80)
