Supreme Court reverses $1B copyright lawsuit
The Supreme Court ruled that Cox Communications is not liable for copyright infringement committed by its users, requiring proof of intent.Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided that internet service provider Cox Communications is not responsible for damages resulting from copyright infringement committed by its users. The case, *Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment*, stemmed from a $1 billion claim by Sony after users illegally downloaded and uploaded copyrighted material. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, stated that Cox could only be held liable if it intentionally facilitated the infringement, clarifying that simply providing a service used for illegal activity is insufficient.
Sony identified over 163,000 instances of illegal file sharing on Cox’s network. However, the Court affirmed that a company isn’t liable for providing a general service knowing some users will misuse it.
Justices Sotomayor and Jackson concurred with the ruling but cautioned against broadly shielding companies that knowingly enable copyright infringement, suggesting other legal theories like aiding and abetting could still apply.
(Source：Ttownmedia)