Supreme Court rules against Aereo and for cell phone search warrants

Aereo, the New York startup that uses tiny antennas to deliver broadcast TV to mobile devices, may be forced out of business by today’s Supreme Court ruling. The Justices voted 6-3 against Aereo and in favor of the broadcast and cable networks that were opposing the company. They found that by recording broadcast television shows and reselling them to viewers, Aereo is violating the Copyright Act.
Aereo has created thousands of tiny TV antennas that are no bigger than a fingertip, and users in New York City and several other big cities can rent a connection to stream and record broadcast TV to their mobile devices and personal computers. In court the company tried to position itself as an equipment provider, and said that viewers were paying rental fees to use its equipment.
Last year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said that Aereo’s technology is basically like a DVR from the user’s perspective, and therefore does not break the law. The case went to the Supreme Court, and now a final decision has been made.
Aereo, which was backed by media mogul Barry Diller, former CEO of Paramount Pictures and Fox, had reportedly talked to both AT&T and Dish Networks about potential partnerships.
Cell phone search warrants
The Supreme Court also ruled today that absent special circumstances, police cannot search a person’s cell phone without a warrant. The Court said that imminent danger to life or the possibility that evidence might be destroyed would be circumstances under which police might be able to search a phone without a warrant.
In an unanimous decision, the high court ruled that the information contained on mobile devices is protected by the Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that modern cell phones contain “the privacies of life” for many Americans.