BMG V. Cox Is Major Copyright Victory For Music Industry

The music industry came out on top in one of its first attempts to hold an internet service provider liable for its subscribers' unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing.

The decision, handed down by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in a dispute between BMG Rights Management and Cox Communications, outlines the obligations an ISP must fulfill to receive safe harbor protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for a subscriber's infringement. It also explains when an ISP can be held contributorily liable for its subscribers' actions.

Read my full analysis here.

Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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