Supreme Court To Decide If ISPs Must Police Music Piracy

The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case determining whether internet service providers must police music piracy on their networks. Cox Communications, America’s largest private broadband company serving over 6 million customers, faces a coalition of more than 50 record labels including Sony Music Entertainment. A 2019 jury ordered Cox to pay over $1 billion in damages for allegedly failing to stop copyright violations, though the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later overturned that judgment. Record labels claim Cox ignored their notices about Digital Millennium Copyright Act violations and failed to follow its own 13-strike termination policy. “Cox made a deliberate and egregious decision to elevate its own profits over compliance with the law,” the coalition stated. Cox argues it shouldn’t face liability for users’ illegal actions. (Story URL)