What is the First Sale Doctrine?

Section 109 of the Copyright Act provides a purchaser of a copyrighted item the ability to sell or otherwise dispose of the item without the permission of the copyright holder. This is known as the first-sale doctrine. It stands for the proposition that a copyright holder cannot control a copyrighted item after it has been sold or transferred.

Note: The purchase of copyrighted item only establishes rights in that item. It does not authorize an individual to copy or otherwise reproduce that copyrighted item.