E-Book Resales Violate EU Copyright Law, Top Court Says (2)

Reselling electronic books violates EU copyright law because the public can access them anywhere, anytime, unlike paper books, the European Union’s highest court ruled.

The decision by the EU Court of Justice blocks not only e-book resales but also resales of digital copies of music, movies and other copyright-protected work, attorneys say. Digital resales fall under a section of EU law governing public communications of copyright-protected materials, rather than the section governing their distribution,, the court said.

The ruling clarifies how EU courts view digital resales, a view that aligns with both a U.S. appellate court’s interpretation and one presented ...