Supreme Court Sides With Internet Provider in Copyright Fight Over Pirated Music

New York Times
by Ann E. Marimow
March 25, 2026
3 min read

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Supreme Court rules in favor of internet provider Cox Communications in copyright dispute with music labels.

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The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cox Communications in a copyright infringement dispute, rejecting claims by major music labels that the internet provider failed to terminate accounts of customers accused of illegally distributing copyrighted music. The labels had argued Cox should face liability under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for not adequately responding to repeated notices of piracy by subscribers. The decision shields internet service providers from a stricter interpretation of their obligations to police customer conduct, potentially limiting the music industry's leverage in combating online piracy through ISP enforcement. The ruling represents a significant victory for broadband companies, which argued they cannot reasonably monitor and police all traffic on their networks. The outcome may force music labels to pursue alternative enforcement strategies, such as suing individual pirates directly rather than targeting the platforms that host them.

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