Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios, Inc.

Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios, Inc. (1984) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case where Sony argued that its Betamax videotape recorder could be used to record television programs for personal viewing. Universal claimed this infringing on copyrights. The Court ruled that making private recordings for personal use was a fair use and not copyright infringement, citing the potential benefits of technology and storage for legitimate purposes. This decision established that technology creators are not necessarily liable for how consumers might use their products, encouraging innovation while respecting existing copyrights.