權利耗盡原則為著作權法下的重要概念，用以限縮著作權人的散布權，使著作物在首次銷售後得以自由流通，藉以增進大眾接觸資訊的機會，進而達到著作權法鼓勵創新、促進國家文化發展的目標。但隨著現今科技的發展，越來越多的著作物開始以數位的形式出現在我們的生活之中，也因為數位著作有別於傳統著作物的特性，使得被創設在實體世界下的權利耗盡原則在運作上逐漸的產生問題，例如：著作權人開始藉由授權協議取代銷售的方式規避權利耗盡原則的適用、數位傳輸過程中所伴隨的非法重製爭議。但即便如此仍不應否定數位著作於權利耗盡原則的適用，因為著作權法鼓勵創新及促進國家文化發展的立法精神並不會因為科技的發展而有所改變。是以為了突破權利耗盡原則於數位環境下所產生的困境，本文將從實務案例及學者的建議中整理出相關的修法建議，期望能使權利耗盡原則順利的適用於數位的環境之中。 The exhaustion doctrine is a vital idea of the copyright law that attempts to limit the right of distribution by the copyright owner, rendering free distribution to works after the first sale, which not only enhances the opportunity of the public contact with information but also achieves the goals of the copyright law that encourage innovation and facilitate national cultural development.However, edgy technology makes more and more works enter into our daily life in a digital form. Besides, the characteristics of digital works distinctive in contrast to those of traditional ones gradually result in issues on the exhaustion doctrine launched for material works in realities operationally. For example, the copyright owner manages to avoid, via authorization and agreement replacing sale, the applicability of the exhaustion doctrine or the disputes of illegal duplication during digital transmission.Notwithstanding, the applicability of the exhaustion doctrine to digital works shall not be denied since edgy technology shall not alter the legislative spirits of the copyright law that encourage innovation and facilitate national cultural development. Given that, in order to solve the issues on the exhaustion doctrine in the digital settings, the author manages to suggest the references to the amendment of copyright law by collecting and concluding both the cases and what has been recommended by scholars and experts and thus expects the applicability of the exhaustion doctrine to the digital settings smoothly without fail.
