Case Law Index
federal2017
Additional Highlights:Patent LawPatent ExhaustionResale Rights
Impression Products, Inc. v. Lexmark International, Inc.
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
A patent holder's sale of a product — whether in the U.S. or abroad — exhausts all patent rights in that item, regardless of any post-sale restrictions the patentee imposes.
Case Summary
Impression Products v. Lexmark held that the first authorized sale of a patented product exhausts all patent rights, preventing patent holders from using patent law to enforce restrictions on downstream sales and resale, even for products sold overseas.