Supreme Court's <i>Kirtsaeng</i> Decision Fuels 'First Sale' Debate

Publishers frequently charge different prices in foreign markets, and they have argued that allowing unrestricted importation threatens that practice. In March, the Supreme Court squarely addressed this issue for the first time in <i>John Wiley &amp; Sons Inc. v. Kirtsaeng</i> and held that the first-sale doctrine does in fact apply to copies made overseas and, as a result, these copies could be purchased in foreign markets and legally resold in the United States.

20 minute read April 30, 2013 at 10:53 AM
By
Andrew Pequignot
Supreme Court's <i>Kirtsaeng</i> Decision Fuels 'First Sale' Debate

The right to resell lawfully purchased copies of copyrighted works has a long history in American copyright law.

This premium content is locked for The Intellectual Property Strategist subscribers only

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN The Intellectual Property Strategist

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

Already have an account? Sign In Now

For enterprise-wide or corporate access, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or call 1-877-256-2473.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2026 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Continue Reading

Most firms are aiming their newest tools at the work they already do — pouring their most powerful technology into running the same tasks a little faster. But when everyone automates the same tasks at once, no one pulls ahead. That reaches the future a little faster while leaving a firm’s largest opportunity untouched — and that opportunity isn’t doing more of the existing work, but transforming how the high-value work gets done.

June 01, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly embedding itself into legal workflows, but much of the conversation treats all use cases as if they carry the same level of risk, even if they do not. The more useful question is not whether AI works, but where it can be safely applied and where it cannot.

June 01, 2026