Quality King Distributors Inc. v. L'anza Research International Inc., 523 U.S. 135 (1998), was a decision by the United States Supreme Court over whether a copyright holder could restrict redistribution of material containing copyrighted content (authorized by the copyright holder) which is imported into the United States as so-called "grey market" goods.

Opinion of the Court

The Supreme Court found that the copyright holder could not prevent re-importation of the products it had authorized for export from the United States.

Quality King Distributors Inc., v. L'anza Research International Inc.

This case did not address the importation of products made outside the United States under authority of the copyright holder. The Court addressed that issue in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 568 U.S. 519 (2013), holding that those sales were also qualifying "first sales", and that copyright holders could not restrict trafficking of those works after those sales.

Quality King Distributors Inc., v. L'anza Research International Inc.

See also

First-sale doctrine

List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 523

List of United States Supreme Court cases

Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume

External links

United States Supreme Court cases

United States copyright case law

1998 in United States case law

United States Supreme Court cases of the Rehnquist Court

Quality King Distributors Inc., v. L'anza Research International Inc.