Dive Summary:
- The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday morning in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, a copyright-infringement case based around a dispute over textbooks produced for foreign markets by WIley that were imported and resold without the publisher's permission.
- Mr. Kirtsaeng, a former Cornell University student from Thailand, contends that his reselling of textbooks purchased and mailed to him by relatives in Thailand is protected under first-sale doctrine, which says anyone who buy a copyrighted work has permission to use or resell it without asking for permission.
- The court is split on the issue, with Justice Elena Kagan expected to be the swing vote, and their decision will impact publishers, academic libraries and anyone who resells, lends or displays copyrighted material made and bought outside the U.S.
From the article:
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday morning in a key copyright-infringement case, with justices asking pointed questions about the resale and reuse of protected works. Many of the questions homed in on possible consequences for individual buyers as well as libraries and other institutions, but did not suggest which way the court was leaning. ...