#Music labels & publishers sued Cox Communications in 2018, saying the company had failed to cut off the #internet connections of subscribers who had been repeatedly flagged for illegally downloading & distributing copyrighted music.
At issue for #SCOTUS was whether providers could be held legally responsible & required to pay steep damages—a billion dollars or more in Cox’s case—if they knew that customers were pirating music but did not take sufficient steps to terminate their access.
In its opinion released Wednesday, #SCOTUS said a company was not liable for “merely providing a service to the general public with knowledge that it will be used by some to infringe copyrights.”
Writing for the court, Justice #ClarenceThomas said a provider like Cox was liable “only if it intended that the provided service be used for infringement” & if it, for instance, “actively encourages infringement.”
#law #music #copyright #IntellectualProperty #internet #business