Judge Gives Automakers April 28 Filing Deadline in AHRA Legal Fight

U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the District of Columbia lifted her stay on recording industry motions to reconsider and clarify her Feb. 19 opinion that the automotive hard drives marketed by Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and their suppliers are excluded from the Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) because they bear computer programs or data that are "unrelated" to the audio content on those hard drives (see 1604060059). An Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC) complaint alleges the automakers should be liable for back royalties under the AHRA because the CD-copying hard drives in their vehicle infotainment systems fall within the scope of the 1992 statute. The automakers denied the allegations. Jackson gave the automakers until April 28 to file a joint brief in opposition to AARC’s motions to reconsider and clarify, and gave AARC until May 16 to reply, her April 7 order (in Pacer) said.