Q: Can US students legally purchase international editions of textbooks?
Looking for an alleged 1998 SCOTUS decision on the issue but can't locate. Claim made by secondhand textbook retailers but not substantiated by any evidence I've seen yet.
A:
To answer your question: Yes, US students may legally purchase international editions of textbooks. It's really the -seller- of international textbooks that must invoke the first-sale doctrine to protect their activities, but the Supreme Court recently decided that they may.
You're looking for Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., which was decided more recently than 1998. Here is a link to the coverage of the case on SCOTUSBLOG: http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/kirtsaeng-v-john-wiley-sons-inc/ with a link to the entire opinion.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
