Supreme Court rules for Cox in Sony copyright fight over music downloads
by Zach Schonfeld - 03/25/26 10:19 AM ETThe Supreme Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that Sony cannot hold Cox Communications liable for not disconnecting customers who illegally downloaded copyrighted music, a battle that has sent ripples through the music and telecommunications industries.
Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, said a lower court got it wrong in putting Cox on the hook for damages over its users. Though the outcome for Cox was unanimous, two of the liberal justices didn’t sign onto Thomas’s broader reasoning.
“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.
Thomas said that music labels need to clear a higher bar. To be sued, an internet service provider must actually intend for its service to be used for infringement or tailor it for illegal activity.
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5799938-supreme-court-rules-cox-communications/
