On Oct. 29, while most federal government offices and businesses were closed in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, it was business as usual at the U.S. Supreme Court, which was hearing arguments in Wiley v. Kirtsaenga copyright case that could change the fundamental view of property ownership in the United States.
Even after the oral arguments, however, it’s impossible to predict how the justices will rule in the high-stakes case. And lawyers on both sides say some issues will likely remain unresolved no matter what. So a diverse coalition, which includes library associations, museums, bookstores, and online retailers, has established the Owners’ Rights Initiative (ORI)a group created to educate members of Congress about how changes to copyright law might affect them.
