American Digital-Cable Company Cox Communications Appealed Against $1 Billion Verdict

Atlanta-based Telecommunication Services Company, Cox Communications Inc. deals in providing digital cable television, telecommunication and home automation service all over the United States of America. This 58-year old American company is headquartered at Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs, Georgia. At present, it is the third-largest cable company operating in the United States, providing cable and telecommunication services to more than 6.2 million customers. In addition, Cox Communications is engaged in social and charitable work under the name ‘Cox Charities’, handing over education grants to nationally recognized non-profit organizations like ‘An Achievable Dream’, ‘ForKids’ and ‘REACH. In point of fact, this telecommunication service company provides internet services as well and generates annual revenue of more than 10.5 billion. Presently chaired by Mr James C. Kennedy and under the directorship of Ms Anne Cox Chambers, this digital cable company has approximately 20,000 employees.

In the year 2018, Cox was sued by 53 music publishers, including giants like Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, for providing customers with a medium for illegally downloading music. The plaintiffs accused this digital-cable company of contributory as well as vicarious copyright infringement and furnished a total of 10,017 infringement instances by Cox’s customers. The plaintiffs contended that they sent thousands of notices to the Cox notifying them about the abuse and requested them to stop it, for which Cox gave them deaf ears. On the other hand, Cox took the defence of Safe Harbor provisions laid down under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Moving to December 19, 2019, Jury of Federal Court of Virginia ruled the case in favour of the plaintiffs and against Cox Communications for willful copyright infringement and directed Cox to pay statutory damages amounting to $99,830 for each infringement, totalling to a whopping amount of $1 billion. 

Recently, Cox formally responded to this verdict and filed an appeal in the District Court of Virginia. The Atlanta-based telecommunication company commented, “The award of $1 billion appears to be the largest award of statutory copyright damages in history”. It further added, “Allowing the billion-dollar figure to stand would be a shocking miscarriage of justice”.

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