First sale doctrine
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (HR 2281), minus the first sale doctrine clarification clause, passed by House by voice vote Oct. 12 following conference committee negotiations. The Senate approved the measure Oct. 8. The first sale clause in HR 2281 as introduced by Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) would have made the doctrine applicable only to goods distributed in the U.S. ("The Rose Sheet" Aug. 24, p. 11). The Senate version, S 2037, did not contain the clause. Coble plans to reconsider the first sale doctrine next year