SCOTUS narrows secondary liability for ISPs in music-piracy case

The Supreme Court ruled that Cox Communications cannot be held contributorily liable for copyright infringements by its customers, saying the service was not intended to enable infringement and that liability should not exceed prior jurisprudence. Justices Sotomayor and Jackson concurred in judgment but warned the ruling narrows liability inconsistent with precedent; their concurrence highlights procedural nuance. The decision reverses a 2024 Fourth Circuit ruling in Sony’s suit over pirated songs by Cox customers from 2013–2014, which sought over $1 billion in damages. Cox framed the ruling as a victory and the RIAA expressed disappointment, as the case progressed from district court to appellate court and finally to the Supreme Court, with oral arguments held previously. The ruling signals ISPs are not copyright police and should not be treated as arbiters of internet access based on speech.