The Supreme Court listened to Aereo, but did they understand?

U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical on Tuesday about online TV service Aereo Inc’s position in a copyright dispute with major broadcasters, but several raised concerns about how a ruling against the startup could affect cloud computing services. The case is important to the future of television, for media companies and consumers alike, in part because a win for Aereo could spur innovation in the industry by paving the way to new, cheaper ways for consumers to watch shows. It could also threaten the estimated $3 billion in so-called retransmission fees that broadcasters get from cable and satellite TV systems. Some broadcasters such as CBS Corp have even threatened to cut off their free-to-air broadcast signals or create their own low-cost Internet feeds of the channel were Aereo to win. A loss for Aereo, backed by media mogul Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp, could force it to shut down.