Editing First-sale doctrine (section)

=== Origins and Purpose ===
The First Sale Doctrine originated from the 1908 Supreme Court case '''Bobbs-Merrill Co. v. Straus''' (210 U.S. 339). The case involved a publisher attempting to control the resale price of books, but the Court ruled that copyright holders' rights are exhausted after the first authorized sale of a product. Once sold, the copyright holder could no longer dictate how the product was used, sold, or transferred.

The doctrine serves several purposes:

* '''Promoting ownership autonomy''': Buyers of a product should have the freedom to use, resell, or give away what they legally own.
* '''Preventing monopolistic control''': Copyright holders are prevented from double-dipping or controlling secondary markets.
* '''Fostering commerce and innovation''': By allowing free circulation of goods, the doctrine enables robust secondary markets and encourages creative competition.