Passport and exceptions to the principle of first sale copyright column contribution

Law firm Veat’s TIP (Technology Intellectual Property) team published a column on the topic of 'rental rights' and 'exception to the first sale doctrine' on Platum, a specialized startup media platform.

With the active distribution of digital content, whether or not secondary distribution occurring in bookstores or secondhand trading platforms infringes upon the rights of copyright holders has emerged as a major point of contention. Accordingly, this column specifically addressed the scope of application centered on the concept and introduction background of the ‘first sale doctrine’ exceptionally recognized by the Copyright Act, and the standards for interpreting rental rights and distribution rights.

Furthermore, it also addressed copyright contract structures that platform operators and content distribution companies should be aware of, and legal issues that may arise in the actual distribution process, adding a practical perspective.

This publication introduces legal standards that various stakeholders, such as secondhand content platforms, digital content distributors, and companies utilizing AI-based creations, can refer to when planning content distribution and utilization, along with points to consider in the current situation.

The TIP team, specializing in intellectual property rights (copyright), provides specialized legal services in the copyright field, such as copyright usage contract review, advice on rental and distribution, and dispute response that may occur during the content distribution process. The TIP team, centered on attorney Seungjong Oh (former Chairman of the Korean Copyright Committee) and attorney Ilwoon Ahn (open-source license expert), has accumulated extensive advisory experience with numerous companies and platforms.

Please refer to the column below for more details, and for legal advice related to content distribution, distribution, and service structure design, please contact the Law firm Veat TIP team.

- [Law firm Veat TIP] Content rental that "works for books" but "doesn't work for CDs," understanding copyright standards

Thank you.

Law firm Veat