First Sale Doctrine

The First Sale Doctrine is a legal principle that allows the buyer of a copyrighted item, like a book or a DVD, to resell or give away that item without needing permission from the copyright holder. This means once the original owner sells or distributes a copy, their rights to control what happens to that specific item are limited. For example, if you buy a novel, you can sell it to someone else or donate it without worrying about copyright infringement. However, this applies only to physical copies, not to digital files, which often come with different rules.