Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. was a Supreme Court case that addressed copyright law and the "first sale doctrine." Supap Kirtsaeng, a student from Thailand, sold textbooks he bought overseas in the U.S., which were cheaper than those sold by Wiley, the publisher. Wiley sued him, claiming this violated copyright. The Court ruled in favor of Kirtsaeng, stating that once an item is sold, the copyright holder cannot control how it is resold. This decision confirmed that the first sale doctrine applies to goods regardless of where they were originally purchased, impacting international commerce and resale rights.