Dec 20, 2019

Cox Communications ordered to pay $1 billion to music labels, publishers

Jacob Knutson

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.

Go deeper: AT&T cuts off some customers' service in piracy crackdown

Go deeper

Ben Geman

Appeals court tosses high-profile youth climate lawsuit

Protesters attend a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court held by the group Our Children’s Trust October 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

A federal appeals court on Friday threw out a lawsuit brought by 21 young people intended to force the U.S. government to act more aggressively to confront climate change.

Why it matters: The case, first brought in 2015, has been among the higher-profile pieces of climate litigation and underscores the challenges of using the court system to tackle global warming.

Go deeperArrowJan 17, 2020
Margaret Harding McGill

Democrats seek answers on Iran cyber threats

Photo illustration: Filograph

House Democratic leaders pressed the Trump administration Wednesday on how it is preparing telecom companies for possible cyberattacks from Iran after the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Why it matters: Iranian hackers have been known to attack U.S. businesses, and fears that they could turn their attention to key U.S. infrastructure — including communications networks — spiked following Soleimani's death in an American airstrike.

Go deeperArrowJan 15, 2020
Rebecca Falconer

Read: Trump 2016 campaign staffer files pregnancy discrimination suit

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Rochester, New York, in April 2016. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

A former Trump 2016 campaign staffer alleges in a sex-discrimination lawsuit that she was fired and prevented from a White House job opportunity after becoming pregnant following a relationship with a supervisor.

The allegations: Arlene "A.J." Delgado claims in the suit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, she found herself "excluded from participating in the communications work of the inauguration or in any capacity," after she announced in December 2016 she was pregnant and that the father was Jason Miller, a married senior communications strategist.

Go deeperArrowDec 25, 2019