Sony's failed war against internet piracy may doom other copyright lawsuits

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled for Cox Communications in its copyright fight with Sony Music.

The Court said Cox was not liable for users’ piracy because it did not induce infringement or build its service for that purpose.

The decision weakens a major path for damages or service-shutdown demands against ISPs in future copyright cases.

Record labels have already started dropping similar cases, and other tech companies may cite the ruling in their own defenses.