Staple article of commerce doctrine

Definition

A principle borrowed from patent law holding that the seller of a common product capable of both lawful and unlawful uses generally cannot be held liable for a buyer's unlawful use of that product. The rationale is that selling everyday goods shouldn't create liability when the goods have many legitimate uses.

Examples

• •Cox argued that Internet service is a staple article of commerce with overwhelming legitimate uses, like a VCR in the Sony/Betamax case

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