Justices weigh innovation vs. copyright

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The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday about whether Hollywood studios and record labels can sue companies that make the software that allows Internet users to download music and movies illegally, a case poised to help define how consumers choose their entertainment in the digital age.

The justices, during their questioning of the lawyers arguing the case -- considered to be one of the most important copyright cases in history -- expressed concerns that such lawsuits could stifle technological innovation.

They also questioned the merits of allowing software makers to build their businesses upon acts of copyright infringement.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer asked Donald B. Verrilli Jr., the attorney for the Hollywood studios and the record labels, how lawsuits like those the industry wants to pursue would have affected past inventions.

"Would we ever have a VCR? Would we have the Xerox machine? Would we have an IPod? Or for that matter, the Gutenberg press? ... It could be in each of those cases there would be vast amounts of infringing uses that are foreseeable," Mr. Breyer said.

"My answer to those questions is yes, yes, yes and yes," Mr. Verrilli said.

The inventions Mr. Breyer cited all have legitimate uses, but the "file-swapping" software that can download music and movies exists primarily so users can obtain copyrighted material without paying for it, Mr. Verrilli said.

Theoretically, file swapping offers "some really excellent uses" that are legal, Mr. Breyer said.

Justice Antonin Scalia said a ruling for the entertainment companies could mean that if "I'm a new inventor, I'm going to get sued right away."

But another justice, Anthony M. Kennedy, asked whether an innovator can use "unlawfully expropriated property as part of the start-up capital for his project. ... That seems wrong to me."