Opinion of the Court
File-Sharing Services Are Liable If They Induce Copyright Infringement
The question is under what circumstances the distributor of a product capable of both lawful and unlawful use is liable for acts of copyright infringement by third parties using the product. We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties. Introduction MGM and many of the amici fault the court of appeals’ holding for upsetting a sound balance between the respective values of supporting creative pursuits through…
