ISP Glossary Find an ISP Term

Search ISP Sites

Search: Search internet.com

ISP Resources ISP-Lists ISP Glossary ISP News CLEC-Planet The List ISPCON Free Newsletter IT Developer Internet News Small Business Personal Technology Search internet.com Advertise Corporate Info Newsletters Tech Jobs E-mail Offers internet.commerce Be a Commerce Partner

Search for an ISP term
by a keyword...	...or by category. choose one... Communications Computer Industry Companies Computer Science Data Graphics Hardware Internet and Online Services Mobile Computing Multimedia Networks Operating Systems Programming Software Standards Types of Computers World Wide Web

first sale doctrine Last modified: Tuesday, October 21, 2003
A legal principle that limits a rightsholder’s rights to control content after it has been sold for the first time. According to first sale doctrine, lawful ownership of an item, such as a music CD or a book, is not the same as owning the copyright of the item. The owner of the item may lend, resell, give away and or/destroy the copyrighted item but is not granted the right to copy the item in its entirety. The transfer of the copy does not include the transfer of the content’s copyright. The legal principle applies to physical items as well as digital content that is downloaded over the Internet.
The First Sale Doctrine in the Era of Digital Networks This article considers the long-term impact of technological change on the first sale doctrine.	Related Categories Computer Law Digital Rights Management (DRM) Ethics Related Terms DRM license right rightsholder