SCOTUS Told Fourth Circuit Ruling Could Cut Off Families From Internet
Broad coalition urges justices to reject $1 billion piracy verdict against Cox Communications.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2025 – The U.S. Solicitor General joined consumer advocates, tech firms, and broadband providers Friday in warning the Supreme Court that a Fourth Circuit ruling against Cox Communications risks cutting households offline and destabilizing the internet economy.
The case, Cox v. Sony, stems from a Virginia jury’s 2019 decision to impose $1 billion in damages after finding Cox had allowed subscribers to remain online despite multiple infringement notices from record labels. The Eastern District of Virginia found the ISP secondarily responsible for its customers’ piracy, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the judgment.
On Friday, a wave of amicus briefs landed in Cox’s favor. The most sweeping came from the Common Sense Copyright Coalition, spearheaded by USTelecom and joined by ACA Connects, CTIA, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition, NTCA, and WTA.
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