The Supreme Court will decide whether people must obtain manufacturer approval to resell items made outside of the USA
(KFI) From an old iPhone to that dusty lamp to a used car, your right to resell used goods could be quashed by the country's top court.
"They might as well come in and lock my doors ... shut me down," said thrift store owner Patti McKee when she heard about a case making its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. "Everything in here is made in China!"
The court will decide whether people must obtain manufacturer approval to resell items made outside of the USA, according to a report by MarketWatch.
As it stands now, people (and that includes businesses, too) can resell items for profit regardless of where they're manufactured.
A used car dealer, for example, does not need approval to resell, nor does a thrift store operator, or someone holding a yard sale or selling on eBay.
An appellate court recently ruled in favor of a company who sued a student for buying its books in Thailand and then reselling them on eBay to American students. The student, Supap Kirtsaeng, made upwards of $1.2 million, the report says. The books were cheaper to buy in Thailand than in America.
