Steptoe Files Amicus Brief Defending Music Industry’s Copyright Protections

(November 3, 2025, Washington, DC) – Steptoe LLP has filed an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court in Cox Communications Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment, a landmark case addressing internet service provider liability for online copyright infringement.

The brief supports the respondents – Sony Music Entertainment, Capitol Records LLC, Universal Music Corp., and others – and urges the Court to affirm the Fourth Circuit's decision holding Cox liable for contributory copyright infringement. The case stems from a $1 billion jury verdict against Cox for facilitating the infringement of more than 10,000 copyrighted works.

Steptoe's filing highlights the critical role of secondary liability in protecting creators from rampant online piracy and underscores the firm's longstanding leadership in this area. Steptoe forged this legal strategy in BMG Rights Management v. Cox Enterprises, a first-of-its-kind DMCA case that resulted in a $25 million judgment and laid the foundation for subsequent enforcement actions – including the current Supreme Court case.

"Secondary liability has long been a critical tool for musicians, songwriters, and the companies that represent their interests to prevent the unlicensed mass distribution and public performance of their creative works," the brief states. "Application of the longstanding common law rules of secondary liability to music copyrights has ensured that those in the best position to prevent infringement play some role in doing so."

The Steptoe team, including Michael Allan, Shannen Coffin, Cannon Jurrens, and Riley John, submitted the brief on behalf of leading music industry organizations: the National Music Publishers' Association, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and Songwriters of North America.

Read the full Brief here.

About Steptoe

In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.