Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/12pdf/11-697_d1o2.pdf
Page Number: 52

Cite as:  568 U. S. ____ (2013) 

11 

GINSBURG, J., dissenting 

applications”).7 

The  Court’s  decision  also  overwhelms  17  U. S. C. 

§602(a)(3)’s exceptions to §602(a)(1)’s importation prohibi­
tion.  2 P. Goldstein, Copyright §7.6.1.2(a), p. 7:141 (3d ed. 
2012)  (hereinafter  Goldstein).8   Those  exceptions  permit
the  importation  of  copies  without  the  copyright  owner’s 
authorization  for  certain  governmental,  personal,  schol- 
arly,  educational,  and  religious  purposes.    17  U. S. C. 
§602(a)(3).    Copies  imported  under  these  exceptions  “will 
often  be  lawfully  made  gray  market  goods  purchased 
through  normal  market  channels  abroad.”  2  Goldstein 

—————— 

7 Notably,  the  Court  ignores  the  history  of  §602(a)(1),  which  reveals 
that  the  primary  purpose  of  the  prescription  was  not  to  provide  a 
remedy against rogue licensees, consignees, and bailees, against whom
copyright owners could frequently assert breach-of-contract claims even 
in the absence of §602(a)(1).  Instead, the primary purpose of §602(a)(1)
was to reach third-party importers, enterprising actors like Kirtsaeng,
against whom copyright owners could not assert contract claims due to
lack of privity.  See Part III, infra. 

8 Section 602(a)(3) provides: 

“This subsection [i.e., §602(a)] does not apply to— 

“(A)  importation  or  exportation  of  copies  or  phonorecords  under  the 
authority  or  for  the  use  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States  or  of
any State or political subdivision of a State, but not including copies or 
phonorecords  for  use  in  schools,  or  copies  of  any  audiovisual  work
imported for purposes other than archival use; 

“(B) importation or exportation, for the private use of the importer or
exporter and not for distribution, by any person with respect to no more
than  one  copy  or  phonorecord  of  any  one  work  at  any  one  time,  or  by 
any  person  arriving  from  outside  the  United  States  or  departing  from 
the  United  States  with  respect  to  copies  or  phonorecords  forming  part 
of such person’s personal baggage; or

“(C)  importation  by  or  for  an  organization  operated  for  scholarly, 
educational, or religious purposes and not for private gain, with respect
to no more than one copy of an audiovisual work solely for its archival
purposes,  and  no  more  than  five  copies  or  phonorecords  of  any  other 
work for its library lending or archival purposes, unless the importation 
of  such  copies  or  phonorecords  is  part  of  an  activity  consisting  of  sys­
tematic  reproduction  or  distribution,  engaged  in  by  such  organization
in violation of the provisions of section 108(g)(2).”