Cox Communications not liable for pirated music, Supreme Court rules

The Supreme Court has issued its ruling in a lengthy copyright battle between Cox Communications and major record labels, determining that the cable and internet service provider isn’t responsible for illegally downloaded music, as reported earlier by the Associated Press. The unanimous decision says Cox “neither induced its users’ infringement nor provided a service tailored to infringement.”

Several record labels, led by Sony Music, sued Cox in 2018, alleging the company allowed 60,000 internet subscribers to download over 10,000 copyrighted songs illegally. A jury found Cox liable for piracy in 2019 and granted Sony $1 billion in damages, though an appeals court later tossed out the hefty award. Cox asked the Supreme Court to take up its case in August 2024.

Other ISPs, such as AT&T and Verizon, backed Cox during the fight, saying the appeals court’s decision “threatens to saddle internet service providers with responsibility for virtually every bad act.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also said punishing an ISP like Cox will hurt free speech.

“A company is not liable as a copyright infringer for merely providing a service to the general public with knowledge that it will be used by some to infringe copyrights,” Justice Clarence Thomas writes in his opinion. “Cox simply provided Internet access, which is used for many purposes other than copyright infringement.”

Mitch Glazier, the chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, says that the trade organization is “disappointed in the Court’s decision,” adding that “copyright law must protect creators and markets from harmful infringement and policymakers should look closely at the impact of this ruling.”