17 U.S.C. § 109

17 U.S.C. § 109, often called the "first sale doctrine," allows a person who legally purchases a copy of a copyrighted work (like a book, DVD, or painting) to resell, lend, or give away that copy without needing permission from the copyright owner. This law ensures that once the copyright owner sells their item, they can't control what happens to it afterwards. However, this applies only to physical copies, not digital files, meaning you typically can't resell or distribute digital content without the owner's consent.