Big Tech Will Also Benefit From ISPs’ High Court Copyright Win

The Supreme Court erected a massive hurdle for lawsuits against internet service providers over their users’ copyright infringement—one which some legal professionals deemed all but insurmountable not just for ISPs but also other online platforms.

All nine justices agreed Wednesday that Cox Communications Inc. shouldn’t be liable in a case initially resulting in a since-remanded $1 billion verdict for the music industry. Seven of them held that a service provider can’t be liable for contributory copyright infringement unless it actively encourages it or the service is designed to infringe. Two other justices objected to foreclosing other common law fault-based liability ...