Supreme Court Sides with ISPs in Music Piracy Cases

Cox Communications and Grande Communications win legal victories against music companies

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:04pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a tangled web of fiber optic cables and server racks, bathed in neon cyan and magenta lights, conceptually representing the complex digital infrastructure that enables internet service providers.The Supreme Court's rulings suggest ISPs will not be held liable for their customers' online piracy, signaling a shift in the legal landscape for copyright enforcement.Santa Clara Today

In two recent rulings, the Supreme Court has reinforced that internet service providers (ISPs) cannot be held liable for their customers' copyright infringement and music piracy. The court sided with Cox Communications and Grande Communications in separate cases brought by major music companies like Sony, signaling a shift away from holding ISPs responsible for policing user activity on their networks.

Why it matters

These decisions mark a significant change in copyright law precedent, making it more difficult for content owners to seek compensation from ISPs for piracy occurring on their networks. This could impact the music industry's ability to recoup losses from widespread illegal downloading and streaming.

The details

In the first case, the Supreme Court ruled that Cox Communications could not be held liable for a billion-dollar judgment over music piracy. In the second case, the court sent a similar lawsuit against Grande Communications, a subsidiary of Astound Business Solutions, back to a lower court for reconsideration in light of the Cox ruling. These back-to-back decisions suggest the court is unwilling to hold ISPs accountable for their customers' copyright infringement, bucking prior precedent.

  • On April 4, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cox Communications in a music piracy case.
  • On April 5, 2026, the Supreme Court sent a case against Grande Communications back to a lower court for reconsideration.

The players

Cox Communications

A major internet service provider that won a legal victory against music companies in a copyright infringement case.

Grande Communications

A Texas-based subsidiary of Astound Business Solutions that was involved in a separate music piracy lawsuit sent back to a lower court by the Supreme Court.

Sony Music

A major music company that brought copyright infringement lawsuits against ISPs Cox Communications and Grande Communications.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The Cox ruling upended decades of fairly well-settled precedent without any clear explanation of why the Supreme Court chose to reset the rules.”

— Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Santa Clara University School of Law

“At minimum, the Supreme Court made clear that copyright owners have overreached with their copyright claims against ISPs for user-caused infringement. Thus, the Supreme Court's message to copyright owners is that they need to be more reasonable and less demanding in their dealings with ISPs.”

— Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Santa Clara University School of Law

What’s next

It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court's rulings in favor of ISPs will also extend to web hosts that may be home to sites engaged in large-scale piracy of content like music, movies, and video games.

The takeaway

These Supreme Court decisions significantly limit the ability of music and other content companies to hold internet service providers accountable for copyright infringement committed by their customers. This could make it more difficult for the music industry to recoup losses from widespread illegal downloading and streaming, forcing them to find new ways to protect their intellectual property rights.