Supreme Court Protects Internet Access in Cox v. Sony Ruling

What Happened In Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment, the Supreme Court ruled that internet service providers (ISPs) cannot be held liable for copyright infringement simply because they profit from providing internet service to customers who pirate copyrighted material. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion, with all nine justices agreeing on the core result, though Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson offered some criticism of the reasoning. The case centered on whether Cox Communications could be held liable for “vicarious infringement” - a legal theory that holds someone responsible for another person’s copyright violations if they profit from and have the ability to control that infringement.