Supreme Court Tosses $1 Billion Copyright Verdict Against Cox in Music Piracy Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously threw out a more than $1 billion copyright verdict against Cox Communications, siding with the broadband provider in a long-running legal battle with major record labels over illegal music downloads.
The case stemmed from a 2018 lawsuit brought by dozens of music companies, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, which accused Cox of failing to stop widespread piracy by its customers. A jury had previously awarded the labels over $1 billion in damages, but the high court’s decision wipes out that liability.
In its ruling, the court found that internet service providers cannot be held responsible for copyright infringement carried out by their users simply for providing access to the internet. Writing for the court, Justice Clarence Thomas said that offering a service that could be misused is not enough to establish liability unless the company actively encourages or intends for infringement to occur.
The justices concluded that Cox did not design its service to promote piracy and did not induce customers to illegally download music, placing it outside the scope of contributory copyright infringement under existing law.
The decision marks a major setback for the recording industry’s efforts to hold internet providers accountable for piracy and establishes a significant precedent limiting the legal exposure of broadband companies. At the same time, it reinforces a key principle of internet law: responsibility for illegal activity online largely rests with users, not the platforms or infrastructure providers that connect them.
