ACT NOW: Supreme Court Case Kirtsaeng V. Wiley & Sons Might Take Away Resale Rights
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL CONGRESS: – This cartoon from Demand Progress explains the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kirtsaeng v. Wiley and Sons, and how you can get involved.
It’s unreal. Any day now the U.S. Supreme Court will hand down a decision in the case Kirtsaeng v. Wiley & Sons The Justices are currently debating whether you have the right to sell your stuff on eBay. Do you really own the smartphone or computer you’re using to read this? If you sold your books, would you be breaking the law? A federal court in New York says you would be, even if you legally paid for and bought them.
The facts in Kirtsaeng v. Wiley & Sons involve a textbook manufacturer suing an eBay user for selling the company’s books online. There’s just one problem — the eBay user they are suing bought the books he sold fair and square. NBC News said the case “case could threaten eBay and garage sales,” while The Wall Street Journal warned that “the case is likely to be a close call. The justices split 4-4 on the same legal question two years ago…”
The mainstream media is starting to catch on to the potential impact of Kirtsaeng v. Wiley & Sons, but so are the special interests who are trying to own us. It’s unbelievable, but trademark and copyright holders are trying to use a legal loophole to take away your right to sell things that you own.
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