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

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that internet service providers (ISPs) cannot be held accountable for the copyright infringement activities of their users unless they take actions that directly lead to such violations. The unanimous ruling supports Cox Communications, although it is notable that two justices disagreed with the reasoning behind the majority's decision. This ruling means ISPs are not obligated to terminate accounts of users accused of illegal downloading or uploading of pirated content en masse. A different outcome could have forced these providers to rigorously monitor their networks for copyright violations to avoid potentially massive financial penalties under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The case, Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment, has been a significant legal battle, particularly after Cox faced a staggering $1 billion verdict for music piracy in 2019. Although this verdict was overturned in 2024, a federal appeals court still held Cox liable for contributory infringement. The Supreme Court’s recent decision came after hearing oral arguments in December 2025. The court dismissed Sony’s claims, affirming that Cox is not liable for the copyright infringements committed by its users. Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the opinion, articulated that simply providing a public service, knowing it may be misused, does not equate to liability for copyright infringement. This opinion was supported by Chief Justice John Roberts and other justices including Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, while concurring with the outcome, expressed concerns about limiting liability to such an extent but ultimately agreed that Cox should not be held responsible for user infringements. Thomas emphasized that liability only arises if a service provider intended for its service to facilitate infringement or actively induced such behavior.