On tuesday the Supreme Court decided to through “out a copyright infringement award to publisher John Wiley & Sonsagainst Thai graduate student Supap Kirtsaeng”, who had been using the internet to resell textbooks bought oversees by his relatives at bargain prices. What does this verdict say about copyright in America? How can textbooks be bought so cheaply in other countries and be priced so high in our own?
It would seem that the United States is not interested in upholding the copyright laws of other countries. Once a textbook is sold in America, the foreign copyright owners lose their rights. The government can’t be bothered to police it.
I think that he should be able to resell the textbooks because this will hopefully drive prices down in America through competition.
Its interesting that a country which prides its self on its capitalistic, competitive nature had to have a case like this go all the way to the supreme court.