Supreme Court rules internet providers are not liable for illegal piracy by users

The Supreme Court unanimously found that internet service providers are not liable for online piracy committed by its users, rejecting a lawsuit brought by multiple record labels, including Sony, against Cox Communications, a major internet service provider.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion in Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment, which was joined by six other justices, overturning a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit that found Cox liable for copyright infringement committed by its users.

“Under our precedents, 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,” Thomas wrote. “Accordingly, we reverse.”

Thomas rejected the assertion by Sony that ISPs should be held liable for users’ actions simply because they had knowledge some of its users were committing copyright infringement, noting the complexity