Court Decision Could Prohibit Sales of Some Second-Hand Merchandise

In the future you may be prevented from reselling goods made outside the U.S. once you purchase them. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Supreme Court will soon hear a case that could have a severe impact on the antiques industry. Currently copyright law allows you to resell copyrighted items without getting permission from the copyright holder. That could change if the Supreme Court upholds lower court rulings in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons. If that happens, consumers would need permission from copyright holders to resell items made outside U.S. borders. Everything from antiques to iphones could be impacted. The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments later this month.