Have you heard of the “first sale doctrine?” You’ve likely heard about the Supreme Court case Kirtsaeng v. Wiley & Sons, and that it might affect library lending. However, the details of the case about a student lawfully importing textbooks into the U.S. and then selling them on eBay are seemingly complex and technical. The Library Copyright Alliance (whose members are the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, and Association of College and Research Libraries) has published a one-page summary, “First Sale Fast Facts for Libraries,” that provides you key information to understand the first sale doctrine and what is at stake in the Kirtsaeng case.

Read more about the case on ALA’s web page First Sale Doctrine and Kirtsaeng v. Wiley & Sons, Inc.  Additionally, ALA and ARL are founding member of the Owners’ Rights Initiative, a diverse coalition of businesses, associations and organizations that have joined together to protect first sale rights in the United States.