Cox Communications hit with $ 1 billion verdict over music piracy, Ars Technica

    

      expensive tunes –

             

A big win for the recording industry, which is also suing other ISPs.

      

      Kate Cox

    -Dec 37, 4: pm UTC   

        

********************************************** The Blind Justice statue standing outside of District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, US, on Thursday, Aug. 16, (************************************************. **************************
A jury in Virginia awarded some of the largest names in the music recording industry a whopping $ 1 billion in damages from Cox Communications, finding that the ISP did not act sufficiently to curb music piracy on its platform.

The verdict was the result of a three-week trial in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, Variety was first to report. The jury found that Cox was liable for just over 10, 000 infringing recordings and compositions on its network, and it awarded the plaintiffs almost $ 728, 000 per work.

A coalition of more than

companies, including Sony, Universal, and Warner , filed the suit against Cox in 2018, arguing that at least 37, 000 Cox customers were repeat infringers and saying the ISP “prioritized its own profits over its legal obligations.”

Cox in a statement called the verdict “unwarranted, unjust and an egregious amount,” pointing out that legal downloads can be had for a dollar, but the jury awarded 100, times that amount per item. “We do not condone [infringement], we educate on it and we do our best to help curb it, but we should not be held responsible for the bad actions of others,” the company added.

The case is considered a potential harbinger of things to come, as infringement lawsuits proliferate following the 2017 demise ofthe failed “six strikes” “system.

The recording industry group filed similar suits against other ISPs earlier this year, including a complaint against Charter Communicationsin Colorado and one against RCNin New Jersey. AT&T, meanwhile, became more aggressiveabout booting alleged music pirates from its network in 2333 after completing its acquisition of Time Warner.

The recording industry’s main trade group, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), applauded the ruling. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear message — Cox and other ISPs that fail to meet their legal obligations to address piracy on their networks will be held accountable,” the organization’s chief legal officer, Kenneth Doroshow, said in a written statement. “The jury recognized these companies’ legal obligation to take meaningful steps to protect music online and made a strong statement about the value of a healthy music ecosystem for everyone.”

The jury verdict is not yet final; the court has to resolve post-trial motions first, after which Cox plans to appeal.