NTCA Joins U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Brief Seeking Relief for ISPs from Copyright Liabilities

NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association today joined other industry groups in filing an amicus curiae brief in support of the petitioners in the case of Cox Communications, Inc. et al. v. Sony Music Entertainment, et al. NTCA and other amici, whose members provide Internet access in both urban and the most rural of areas of the United States, urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruling in the case finding internet providers could be liable for copyright infringement for providing a broadband connection that leads to piracy.

"ISPs need clear and consistent laws that don't force them to choose between disconnecting subscribers for bare and unverifiable allegations of copyright infringement or facing lawsuits and hefty monetary damages," said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield. "This is not what Congress intended when enacting our nation's copyright laws, this is not what the laws say-and if the lower court's ruling were allowed to stand, the significant gains we have made in broadband access for American consumers would be drastically undermined. We urge the Supreme Court to reverse the Fourth Circuit's ruling."