Janet Fries Comments on the First Sale Doctrine for IPLaw360

Washington counsel Janet Fries was featured extensively in the Nov. 19 issue of IPLaw360 article, "Suit About Music CDs Considers First Sale Doctrine." The article examines the lawsuit by Universal Music Group against Troy Augusto, who is accused of copyright infringement through the sale of promotional items on the Internet. Janet discusses whether the recipient of a promotional copy is a rightful owner or a licensee and suggests that the case may rest on how this issue is determined. She said that although the first sale doctrine has been respected in the era of eBay, this case could have implications for other forms of media such as software and film.