"Court Overturns $1 Billion Copyright Verdict Against Cox Communications for Music Piracy"

A federal appeals court overturned a $1 billion piracy verdict against Cox Communications, ruling that the ISP did not profit directly from copyright infringement committed by its users. The court affirmed the finding of willful contributory infringement but reversed the vicarious liability verdict, ordering a new damages trial. The case, brought by Sony and other music copyright holders, alleged that Cox didn't adequately fight piracy on its network. Advocacy groups supported Cox's appeal, expressing concerns that the ruling could lead to ISPs disconnecting users based on mere accusations of copyright infringement.