Supreme Court rejects Sony's attempt to kick music pirates off the Internet

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that internet service providers cannot be held liable for customers' copyright infringement unless they take specific steps that directly cause the violations, siding with Cox Communications in its dispute with Sony Music Entertainment. Cox had faced a $1 billion verdict in 2019 for music piracy, though a federal appeals court in 2024 upheld a finding of willful contributory infringement despite overturning the damages award. The decision means ISPs are not required to conduct mass terminations of users accused of illegal downloading or uploading, avoiding potential billion-dollar liabilities under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The ruling effectively shields internet providers from the costly obligation to aggressively police their networks for piracy.