With the emergence of digital works, the existing first-sale principles in traditional publishing are facing severe challenges. However, in the field of traditional publishing, the application of the firstsale principle of protecting consumers’ resale and gift of works is still a blank in the field of the digital copyright economy.By combing and researching the application of the firstsales principle in the digital environment in recent years, this paper focuses on an analysis of the legislative exploration and judicial practice of the first sales principle in the digital environment, and the obstacles to the application of the firstsales principle in the digital environment. The conclusion is drawn that the digital copyright economy is in urgent need, and only on this basis can be found a way to apply the firstsale principle to the digital environment.

digital works; first sale principle; digital copyright economy; resale