Since 1908, under the “First Sale Doctrine” a buyer could commonly resell equipment even though the seller had a copyright on the equipment. The recent case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court involved a native of Thailand, Supap Kirtsaeng, who discovered that the textbooks that he was required to purchase from Cornell University’s bookstore, could in fact be purchased much cheaper from another source in Thailand. After a ruling by the Second Court of Appeals which limited the sale ability of imported mechandise, the case went to the Supreme Court. Some interested parties, such as Goodwin Industries, contended that it’s charitable mission could be compromised if the Supreme Court were to conclude that the “First Sale Doctrine” only applied to work that has been sold in the United States.
Read more about the decision here.
