ReDigi took a gamble that it could resell legally purchased song downloads, much as you would that one-hit wonder CD you bought in high school. Unfortunately for ReDigi, the odds weren’t ultimately in its favor: a Southern District of New York court has shot down ReDigi’s appeal against a Capitol Records lawsuit accusing it of copyright infringement. The court didn’t accept ReDigi’s view that first sale principles apply to strictly digital music, at least as its service implements the technology. While the startup tries to keep traders honest by making them delete originals after a resale, the process by its digital nature still involves making a copy of the track without Capitol’s permission, according to the court. We’ll have to wait to know what penalties ReDigi might pay, but there’s enough legal precedent in the case that it’s doubtful others will follow in the service’s experimental footsteps.
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Verge
Source: Santa Clara Law (PDF)
Complicated legal systems and copyright laws put aside, on a basic level it makes sense to think that if you were to purchase an item, it would be yours to do as you see fit which includes reselling it, right? That’s pretty much how websites such as eBay and Craigslist work where people put up second hand (and brand new) items for sale. However when it comes to digital goods, that’s when things start to get a bit complicated and a US court is set to hear a case which will determine whether digital media files can be resold which could also set a precedent for future cases. 