Providing internet service to known copyright infringers doesn't make Cox Communications liable for any infringement they commit, the U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday. In a unanimous decision (docket 24-171), SCOTUS reversed the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' contributory copyright infringement finding against Cox for the piracy of some of its internet subscribers (see 2408160034). Sony and other music labels that were suing Cox for abetting online piracy received a $1 billion jury verdict in 2019 (see 1912300025).

The House Commerce Committee on Wednesday unanimously advanced an amended version of the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act (HR-7386), as expected, despite continued opposition from the Fraternal Order of Police and some other public safety groups (see 2603240074). House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said later in an interview that FOP didn’t participate in negotiations on changes to the measure, despite repeated House Commerce outreach. The organization disputes that assessment.

The FCC appears poised to approve an NPRM on Thursday seeking comment about rules aimed at forcing regulated companies to return more customer call center workers to the U.S., a move it says is consistent with the Trump administration’s “America First” push. The extent of FCC authority to make that happen is questionable, industry officials said ahead of the meeting.

Nexstar blasted efforts by DirecTV and state attorneys general to secure a restraining order to block its merger with Tegna (see 2603200051), while former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly filed an amicus brief backing the groups that are challenging the deal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also weighed in against the FCC Media Bureau’s approval of the deal.

The Commerce Department is proposing a certification process for novel space missions that would let other space regulatory agencies, like the FCC, waive some of their licensing requirements and serve as that oversight itself. Gabriel Swiney, the Office of Space Commerce's policy, advocacy and international division director, said the FCC has indicated that it would waive its orbital debris requirements for novel space missions that go through the certification process.

Iconectiv told the FCC that many of the comments on whether the agency should launch a new competitive bidding process to select the toll-free numbering administrator miss the point of the proceeding. Somos received support in a number of initial filings that backed its push to be allowed to stay on in that role (see 2603100031), but iconectiv, which wants a bidding process, said that wasn’t the question the FCC asked. Replies were posted Wednesday in docket 20-174.

Wiley Rein’s Ari Meltzer said Wednesday that the Court of Federal Claims now has some complicated and substantial issues to resolve after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit remanded back to the lower court Ligado’s spectrum property claims (see 2603090034). During a Federalist Society webinar, Meltzer noted that the appeals court acted very quickly after hearing oral argument in early February (see 2602040054).

Communications Daily is tracking the below lawsuits involving appeals of FCC actions. New cases are marked with *.