Supreme Court will hear Aereo on April 22 with one Justice sitting out

Aereo’s future depends on a controversial interpretation of copyright law that received a green light from a New York appeals court, but that television broadcasters want the Supreme Court to declare illegal. The Court agreed to hear the appeal in January, and now they’ve set a date: the case will be heard on April 22. Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from the case. Recusals typically arise because a judge has a financial or other type of conflict of interest. This means that the decision could end in a 4-4 tie -- in which case, the lower court decision siding with Aereo will be upheld.