Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.

Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 (1984),.  also known as the “Betamax case”, is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which decided that the making of individual copies of complete television shows for the sake of time shifting does not mean it is copyright infringement, but is fair use.

The Court also decided that the makers of home video recording devices, like Betamax or other videocassette recorder (VCR) cannot be found guilty for infringement. The case was a boon to the home video market, as it created a legal safe haven for the technology.

References

Category:1984 in the United States
Category:United States Supreme Court cases
Category:Copyright