# Stealing donated items - is there case law on this?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 18, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066 "2007-08-18T17:47:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066/41 "2007-08-20T16:32:27Z")

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[QUOTE=Outpits]  
Similarly, OP’s library could post a “no resale” requirement, requiring any borrower to return the book rather than sell it, but they must make that clear at the time of the exchange (probably a sign on the rack or a sticker on the book).  
[/QUOTE]

It would take _a lot_ more than that. As I said, the law doesn’t like restrictions on alienation.

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066/42 "2007-08-20T17:32:34Z")

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[QUOTE=acsenray]  
Books left in the hallway – take 'em if you want 'em? There’s no contract there.  
[/QUOTE]

Quite so. No offense to my fellow book-lovers, but a book is not a living animal.

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**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066/43 "2007-08-21T01:45:44Z")

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I don’t think there’s anything illegal, immoral or unethical about it, even though I find it personally distasteful to take something provided free to the public by a publicly-supported institution and sell it. I’d say that the guy himself wasn’t so sure how acceptable his re-selling scheme is, considering he cut the library stickers off.

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**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066/44 "2007-08-21T04:09:22Z")

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Mods, could you close this thread? I have the answer. It IS from a lawyer and is based on case law.

Thanks.

whistlepig

whistlepig

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-donated-items-is-there-case-law-on-this/416066/45 "2007-08-21T14:08:56Z")

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**Whistlepig** , could you tell us the answer and the cited case then?

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