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

464 U.S. 417·1984

What the Court Decided

Held that the manufacturer of the Betamax VCR was not liable for contributory copyright infringement because the device was capable of substantial non-infringing uses.

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Cited In

Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment

2025 Term · 24-171

Cited for borrowing the staple article of commerce doctrine from patent law and for recognizing that selling a device capable of substantial non-infringing uses does not create contributory liability.