A U.S. District Court jury on Thursday found Cox Communications, a telecom company, liable for the piracy infringement of more than 10,000 pieces of music, awarding $1 billion in statutory damages to the plaintiffs Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and EMI, according to Billboard.
Why it matters via Axios' Ina Fried: In general, it has been individuals not internet service providers that have been held liable for piracy. "[S]imilar lawsuits ... have been filed against Charter, Charter subsidiary Bright House Networks, RCN, and Grande Communications," The Verge writes.
Context: The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in 2018, accusing Cox of pretending not to notice pirates, even after the company learned of its customers acts of infringement.
Details: The court found Cox guilty of infringement claims on 10,017 pieces of work and fined the company $99,830.29 per musical work.
What's next: Cox intends to appeal the case, per a statement the company put out, The Verge notes.
