“Supreme Court Will Hear Case Over Foreign Textbooks Imported and Resold in U.S.”

Is it legal to buy textbooks and other copyrighted works overseas, where they may be much cheaper, and resell them in the United States? The U.S. Supreme Court will take up that question in its next term, when it hears arguments in Supap Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons. The case could have major implications for publishers intent on protecting the market for copyrighted works. It’s also being watched closely by librarians concerned that it could undermine the first-sale doctrine, which allows the buyer of a copyrighted work to lend or sell it without permission from the rights holder.