Quality King Distributors, Inc. v. L'anza Research International, Inc.
United States Supreme Court
523 U.S. 135 (1998)
Relevant factsFree
L'anza (plaintiff) sold copyrighted-label hair products to a foreign distributor under resale restrictions; the goods were later imported back into the United States by an unknown party and ultimately resold by Quality King (defendant) to unauthorized domestic retailers, prompting L'anza to sue for violating its exclusive distribution rights under the Copyright Act's importation provision.
IssueFree
Whether, after the first sale of a copyrighted item produced in the United States, the item can be imported back into the United States without violating the copyright holder's rights under § 602(a) of the Copyright Act of 1976.