The Supreme Court heard arguments about whether internet companies should get hit with massive damages when their customers pirate music online. Music labels sued Cox Communications back in 2018 because the company kept providing service to people who were constantly getting flagged for illegal downloads, and a jury originally awarded the labels a billion dollars in damages.
Justices from both sides seemed worried that siding with the music industry could force providers to cut off entire hospitals or universities just because one person on their network was downloading tracks illegally. Cox argued that making internet companies play copyright cop would mess up how everyone accesses the web, while the labels said Cox ignored tens of thousands of repeat offenders just to keep collecting subscriber fees. Most justices seemed likely to send the case back to a lower court under tougher standards, suggesting that Cox just knowing about the piracy probably was not enough to make them liable.
Justices from both sides seemed worried that siding with the music industry could force providers to cut off entire hospitals or universities just because one person on their network was downloading tracks illegally. Cox argued that making internet companies play copyright cop would mess up how everyone accesses the web, while the labels said Cox ignored tens of thousands of repeat offenders just to keep collecting subscriber fees. Most justices seemed likely to send the case back to a lower court under tougher standards, suggesting that Cox just knowing about the piracy probably was not enough to make them liable.
