Limitations on the Rights of Owners - Doctrine of First Sale

The doctrine of first sale, found in Section 109(A) of the Copyright Act, is an exception to the copyright owner’s right of distribution. It states that once someone has acquired a lawfully made copy of a work, they can redistribute (not reproduce) it as they wish. The first sale exemption makes it possible for libraries to lend books, for video stores to rent movies, and for used book stores to operate.