The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear two patent cases and one high-profile copyright fight, bringing the number of IP disputes on its docket to an unusual high.

In a terse order, the justices agreed to hear copyright infringement claims against Aereo Inc., an online television start-up that threatens the broadcasting industry. The high court also granted cert in Akamai Technologies Inc. v. Limelight Networks Inc., which raises the question of whether tech companies can be liable if they induce patent infringement by third parties. Finally, the court took up Nautilus Inc. v. Biosig Instruments Inc., in which the fitness company Nautilus challenges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s approach to determining whether a patent is too indefinite. Our affiliate the National Law Journal has more on the cert grants here.

Even before Friday’s ruling, the Supreme Court had an unusually high number of IP cases on its docket. The grand total now stands at five patent cases and two copyright cases.

On Oct. 1, the court agreed to hear two cases—Octane Fitness LLC v. Icon Health and Fitness Inc. and Highmark Inc. v. Allcare Health Management Systems Inc—relating to whether losers in patent cases should pay their opponents’ legal costs. Fee-shifting been a hot issue in patent circles, and the patent reform bill approved by the House of Representatives on December 6 would adopt a more defendant-friendly standard.

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Tags: Akamai Technologies Inc., patent infringement, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court