In a major blow to the music industry, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that internet service providers cannot be held liable for copyright infringement solely for failing to disconnect users accused of piracy. The decision marks a significant victory for tech companies and internet users alike.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion for a unanimous court. Major record labels had argued that providers should face legal consequences if they knowingly allowed users to continue downloading copyrighted music.
The record companies involved control the rights to some of the world’s most famous artists, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Eminem, Eric Clapton, and Gloria Estefan. Thomas emphasized, “Under our precedents, a company is not liable as a copyright infringer for merely providing a service to the general public with knowledge that it will be used by some to infringe copyrights.”
The case dates back to a jury award of $1 billion for Sony Music Entertainment and other labels against Cox Communications, which was accused of infringing more than 10,000 copyrighted works. A federal appeals court later overturned the billion-dollar damages but maintained that Cox could potentially be liable for contributing to widespread infringement.
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