Davis v. Pinterest, Inc.: The Road Map To Contributory Infringement Suits

"The one who distributes, 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."

The concept of contributory copyright infringement thus stems from the law of torts which basically purports that a person who contributes directly to the infringement of another person should be held accountable. It is a legal tool that has been developed to address the shortcomings of the Legislature. The purpose of contributory copyright liability is to 'empower copyright owners to sue the root cause of numerous infringements,' rather than having to sue a 'multitude of individuals' for direct infringements.