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WASHINGTON — <\/span>The Supreme Court<\/a> on Wednesday sided with internet service provider Cox Communications in its copyright fight<\/a> with record labels over illegal music downloads by Cox customers.<\/p>\n The justices ruled unanimously that Cox bears no liability for the copyright violations of its customers, reversing a jury verdict and lower-court rulings.<\/p>\n \u201cCox neither induced its users\u2019 infringement nor provided a service tailored to infringement,\u201d Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court in an opinion that acknowledged that the record labels \u201chave struggled to protect their copyrights in the age of online music sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n The court acted in a lawsuit led by Sony Music Entertainment that said Cox did not do enough to deter or cut off customers who downloaded music they did not pay for. <\/p>\n The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had partially upheld a jury verdict against Cox, but it threw out its award of more than $1 billion.<\/p>\n Cox Communications provides internet service to more than 6 million homes and businesses in more than a dozen states. The company warned of widespread disruptions in access if the justices ruled against it.<\/p>\n Cox said it could be required to terminate access for households, hospitals, universities and coffee shops based on a \u201ccouple accusations of infringement.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n