SIIA is strongly disappointed with the Supreme Court’s ruling today in Kirtsaeng v. Wiley. The truth is that the ruling for Kirtsaeng will send a tremor through the publishing industries, harming both U.S. businesses and students around the world. Today’s decision will create a strong disincentive for publishers to market different versions and sell copies at different prices in different regions. The practical result may very well be that consumers and students abroad will see dramatic price increases or entirely lose their access to valuable U.S. educational resources created specifically for them.
For more information, read SIIA’s amicus brief in the case, which defends the view that these purchases violate U.S. copyright law, since the first sale doctrine does not apply to a work made and sold abroad.
Keith Kupferschmid is General Counsel and SVP, Intellectual Property Policy & Enforcement at SIIA.