Oct. 18--If you've ever sold an old iPhone or made money off outgrown children's clothes, you're not alone. It's legal, and quite common, because of the first-sale doctrine in copyright law, which gives the copyright holder control of the first sale only.
But there's concern that a Supreme Court case under consideration later this month challenges that doctrine. If the court upholds an appellate court ruling in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons Inc., it could end consumers' ability to sell items made overseas without the original copyright holder's permission. In the case of the iPhone, that means first asking Apple if you can sell your old phone. And the company would probably want a cut from the sale.
What about CNC machinery and tools that come with firmware or software installed?
Best Regards Tom.