In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Cox Communications, Inc. (Cox) was not liable for contributory copyright infringement for providing internet service to subscribers who were known copyright infringers. The ruling reversed a Fourth Circuit decision, which upheld part of a $1 billion jury verdict finding Cox contributorily liable for its customers’ music piracy. The Court concluded that there is a legal distinction between the mere knowledge that a service will be used for copyright infringement and the intent to promote such infringement. The Court also held that Cox could be contributorily liable for copyright infringement only if it affirmatively induced such infringement or offered a service tailored primarily for infringing uses.
