Supreme Court makes it harder for music and movie makers to sue for online piracy

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday made it harder for music and movie makers to sue for online piracy, ruling that internet providers are usually not liable for copyright infringement even if they know their users are downloading copyrighted works.

In a 9-0 decision, the justices threw out Sony's lawsuit and a $1-billion jury verdict against Cox Communications for copyright infringement. Lower courts upheld the lawsuit against Cox's internet service for contributing to music piracy, which the company did little to stop.

Sony's lawyers pointed to hundreds of thousands of instances of Cox customers sharing copyrighted works. Put on notice, Cox did little to stop it, they said.

But the high court said that is not enough to establish liability for copyright infringement, which remains a hot button issue in the music and film industries with the advent of AI tools that have spread the misuse of copyrighted content and sparked lawsuits between studios and AI companies.

—Los Angeles Times

Remains of Air Canada pilots killed in LaGuardia crash to be flown back home

NEW YORK — The remains of the two Air Canada pilots killed in Sunday’s LaGuardia airport crash were expected to be flown back home on Wednesday as National Transportation Safety Board investigators finished up their second full day on their extensive probe into the disastrous accident, sources and officials said.

The bodies of pilot Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther were prepared for transport at two Queens funeral homes and were expected to be taken to Newark Liberty International Airport for a dignified transfer back to Canada Wednesday night, sources with knowledge of the case said.

Forest is from Coteau-du-Lac, a city southwest of Montreal, where scores of residents have been calling City Hall to extend their condolences and ask what they can do to help the family, Mayor Andrée Brosseau told The Canadian Press.

Brosseau said his staff has been directing people to the city’s Facebook page, where a post about the pilot’s death has garnered hundreds of comments and shares. “We’re telling them to leave a comment,” said Brosseau, adding that if the family ever wants to see the comments, “It will be there, on social media.”

—New York Daily News

Pennsylvania lawmakers make their first move to regulate data centers, as the industry booms

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Members of the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday approved new regulations for data centers building in Pennsylvania, in the first effort by the state General Assembly to shape the booming market.

The Democratic-led House approved a bill with bipartisan support in a vote of 104-95 to require data centers to pay for any increased costs associated with their significant energy demands, as lawmakers try to stave off energy price increases for residents and small businesses. The bill now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate.

The proposal mandates a percentage of centers’ energy usage come from a renewable energy source, as well as requiring data center developers to contribute additional funds toward the state’s low-income energy assistance programs.

Data centers have become a flashpoint for residents across the Philadelphia region and state, as residents fear the negative impacts the massive energy users will have on the power grid, water access, and other environmental impacts.

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Canadian's DNA taken at Blue Water Bridge by border agents, retiree says

WASHINGTON — A pair of House Democratic lawmakers are questioning Trump administration officials about why a Canadian retiree was required to provide a DNA sample under the threat of jail time while trying to cross the Blue Water Bridge into Port Huron, Michigan.

Kevin Larson, 68, of Kincardine, Ontario, has no known criminal record and was trying to cross the border to Michigan on Oct. 18, 2025, to attend a No Kings protest in Port Huron against the policies of President Donald Trump, according to the lawmakers.

After three hours, during which he was subjected to fingerprinting, a phone search and the collection of his DNA via a cheek swab, he was denied entry, Larson told The Detroit News on Wednesday.

When he asked the officer why he was being turned away, Larson said he was told it was due to the nature of his planned activity, i.e., attending an anti-Trump protest.

—The Detroit News