Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment
607 U. S. 583 (2026) · 3/25/26
Internet service provider Cox Communications neither induced its users’ infringement of copyrighted works nor provided a service tailored to infringement, and accordingly Cox is not contributorily liable for the infringement of Sony’s copyrights.
Edition: preliminary print (page proof)
Voices: Syllabus — prepared by the Reporter of Decisions · Justice Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court. · Justice Sotomayor, with whom Justice Jackson joins, concurring in the judgment.
Under the Copyright Act, “[a]nyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner . . . is an infringer of the copyright.” 17 U. S. C. § 501(a). This Court has also recognized two categories of secondary liability, which means liability for the copyright infringement of another. Those two categories are “contributory” liability and “vicarious” liability. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd., 545 U. S. 913, 930. This case concerns contributory liability, which requires that a provider intended its service to be used for infringement. A copyright owner can show…
Held: The provider of a service is contributorily liable for a user's infringement only if it intended that the provided service be used for infringement, which can be shown only if the party induced the infringement or the provided service is tailored to that infringement; Cox neither induced its users' infringement nor provided a service tailored to infringement; accordingly, Cox is not contributorily liable for the infringement of Sony's copyrights. Pp. 592–596. (a) “The Copyright Act does not expressly render anyone liable for infringement committed by another.” Sony Corp. of America v.…Read it in the reading room ›