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Patent exhaustion
Patent exhaustion limits the rights of patent holders to enforce their patents against downstream customers. It is closely related to the "first sale doctrine". Both concepts exist in the USA, and similar probably exists in other countries.
In the USA, patent exhaustion is defined in two Supreme Court cases:
- Quanta v. LGE (2008, USA)
- Boesch v. Graff (1890)[1]
External links
- MPEG-LA’s patents exhausted by camera sale? (incomplete), 4 May 2010, ESP News
- Copyrights, Patents, and International Exhaustion, 16 Nov 2010, Patently-O