Q. I just updated to a new version of Microsoft Office. It's expensive, so I wanted to make a few bucks by selling my old version of Office 2010. How should I go about doing this?
-Bob from Duluth, MN, listens to my national radio show on WDSM 710 AM. 

A. Copies of Office are going for $100 or more online. I don't blame you for wanting to cash in. Unfortunately, you might be breaking the law.

Granted, I'm no legal expert. Take what I'm about to tell you with a grain of salt. If you want a more definitive answer, please consult a lawyer.

The law actually says very little about used software. However, you could still receive a fine or other serious penalty.

How does that happen? Is there a way around it?

Used software technically falls under a copyright rule more than a century old. It's been used to fine used-software sellers in the past.

I'm talking about the First-Sale doctrine. Originally, it dealt with used books, but it still shows up in cases.

The logic isn't hard to follow. For example, you can't make digital copies of a CD and then sell the CD. That makes sense, right?