March 25, 2026
ISP wins, gun talk explodes
Sony V. Cox Decision Reversed
Supreme Court clears Cox: ISPs aren’t the pirate police, commenters pivot to guns
TLDR: The Supreme Court said Cox isn’t liable for users’ piracy because it didn’t push infringement or build for it. Comments erupted into a carrier-versus-culpable brawl, veering into gun-maker analogies and self-defense stats, while pragmatists predict labels will squeeze schools to curb torrents.
The Supreme Court just flipped the Sony v. Cox saga, declaring that Internet providers aren’t on the hook for users’ piracy unless they intended it—either by nudging people to infringe or by selling a service built for it. Cue the comments section going full soap opera. One loud chorus cheered “carrier, not cop,” comparing ISPs to phone lines that don’t listen to calls. User achandlerwhite immediately launched a curveball: if intent is king, what does that mean for gun makers? Suddenly we’re in a stats crossfire—some cite surveys claiming tens of thousands of defensive gun uses a year, others say millions, and the thread turns into a mini town hall.
Meanwhile, legal sticklers channel the Court’s vibe: no vibes-based guilt, only receipts. As vetrom puts it, “impressions don’t matter,” echoing the Court’s rule from cases like Grokster. Pragmatists roll their eyes at rock labels, with johnnyanmac noting they won’t chase “some broke 23-year-old”—expect more pressure on universities to squash torrents instead. Sprinkle in memes: MarkMonitor as the “hall monitor,” ISPs as “I’m Simply a Pipe,” and “SCOTUS pressed play on intent.” The bottom line: the Court says Cox didn’t induce or tailor for piracy, so no contributory liability—read the mood as half legal victory lap, half culture-war detour, all chaos. Full decision recap here: Sony v. Cox
Key Points
- •The Supreme Court held that contributory copyright liability requires intent shown by inducement or a service tailored to infringement.
- •Cox Communications neither induced infringement nor offered a service tailored to infringement, so it is not contributorily liable.
- •Sony and other music owners sent Cox 163,148 infringement notices identified via MarkMonitor over roughly two years.
- •A jury had awarded $1 billion in statutory damages; the district court denied Cox’s post-trial motion; the Fourth Circuit affirmed contributory liability and reversed vicarious liability.
- •The Supreme Court granted certiorari on contributory liability only and reversed the Fourth Circuit on that ground.