# Canonical recap data for Betamax vs. VHS Format War (1975)
# Source: https://recap.at/1975/betamax-launch
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: betamax-launch
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1975/betamax-launch"
title: Betamax vs. VHS Format War
subtitle: Sony's Betamax launch ignited a decadelong consumer electronics battle that would ultimately reshape home video distribution and establish VHS dominance.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1975-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1975
decade: 1970
country:
name: Japan
slug: japan
summaryShort: 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 ruled that the making of individual copies of complete television shows for purposes of time shifting does not constitute copyright infringement, bu
summaryLong: 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 ruled that the making of individual copies of complete television shows for purposes of time shifting does not constitute copyright infringement, but can instead be defended as fair use. The court also ruled that the manufacturers of home video recording devices, such as Betamax or other VCRs, cannot be liable for contributory infringement. The case was a boon to the home video market, as it created a legal safe harbor for the technology.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Sony_betamax_cassette_L-750_SD_195min_recordingtime.png/1280px-Sony_betamax_cassette_L-750_SD_195min_recordingtime.png"
heroImageCredit: dr.marioli (Wikipedia Nutzername) · via Wikipedia
importance: 72
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios%2C_Inc."
  title: Betamax case
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- tech-launch
metaDescription: 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 S
wikidataQid: Q7562455
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260626051232/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios,_Inc."
  capturedAt: 2026-06-26
  label: Betamax case
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios%2C_Inc."
