first-sale doctrine

American  

noun

1. a legal principle allowing the purchaser of a lawfully made copy of a copyright-protected work to sell or give away that copy without permission but not to reproduce it.

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Etymology

Origin of first-sale doctrine

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Thanks to legal concepts like the first-sale doctrine, physical book buyers typically own the media they’ve purchased outright, and they’re allowed to sell it without the original publishers making money.

From The Verge • Aug. 3, 2022

On Friday, the court said that the state law conflicts with the federal copyright law’s first-sale doctrine that claims once a copyright owner sells work a first time, they lose control over future sales.

From New York Times • Jul. 11, 2018

After all, the first-sale doctrine applies to sales.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2013

Just as the survival of the first-sale doctrine in 1985 allowed the home video market to thrive, the Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday could have potentially significant applications beyond just textbooks or, more broadly, digital content.

From Forbes • Mar. 20, 2013

But Kirtsaeng contended that his actions were protected under the "first-sale" doctrine, a provision of federal copyright law that lets owners of "lawfully made" copies sell or dispose of them without copyright owners' permission.

From Reuters • Oct. 29, 2012