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Court: Pandora Streamers Not Customers
The Michigan Supreme Court may have dealt a blow to a man who accuses Pandora of illegally sharing his music tastes with others on the internet.
A federal appeals court asked the Michigan court if Peter Deacon qualifies as a “customer” who rents or borrows music from Pandora.
The answer is important because Deacon claims Pandora violated state privacy law by sharing his preferences. In a unanimous decision Wednesday, the Supreme Court says Deacon isn’t a customer under the law because no money changed hands.
Deacon apparently chose the free version of Pandora’s service. Deacon’s lawsuit against Pandora was dismissed in 2012 by a federal judge in California. He is appealing.