Supreme Court rules against music industry in piracy case

The Supreme Court weighed internet service providers' role in stopping music piracy. Much was at stake for both the industry and internet users.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on March 25 ruled against the music industry’s effort to punish internet service providers who allow users to illegally copy and share content.

The justices said a lower court erred when it found Cox Communications liable for steep damages after it continued to provide internet service to customers who had been flagged repeatedly for piracy.

"Cox provided Internet service to its subscribers, but it did not intend for that service to be used to commit copyright infringement," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the unanimous decision. "Holding Cox liable merely for failing to terminate Internet service to infringing accounts would expand secondary copyright liability beyond our precedents."

Cox argued the standard used by the lower court would leave them no choice but to cut off internet access to large account holders such as universities, hospitals and even entire towns to avoid massive judgements.

But Sony Music Entertainment and a host of other leading recording companies and music publishers said Cox helped 60,000 customers distribute more than 10,000 copyrighted works for free, contributing to a problem that robs the industry of billions of dollars yearly.