PRESS RELEASE from the Design and Artists Copyright Society (UK)
British artists and their families were today dealt a crushing blow as the Government announced its intention to once again delay implementation of the Artist’s Resale Right for artists’ heirs and beneficiaries. This irrational and damaging decision undermines the Government’s commitment to support the creative industries and runs contrary to its proclaimed ‘fairness’ agenda.
Despite the Minister for Intellectual Property, David Lammy MP, revealing earlier this year that 90% of the respondents to the Government consultation on the Artist’s Resale Right wrote in favour of implementing the Right for artists’ heirs without further delay, the Government has chosen to ignore their views and disregard the mountain of evidence that proves that this Right does not damage business. This is in stark contrast to the Government’s supposed commitment to evidence-based policy-making.
The Artist’s Resale Right is a system that pays a modest royalty to artists when their original works of art are resold by art dealers, galleries or auction houses. The UK has had this royalty system since 2006 and it has allowed artists, including the young and up-andcoming, to receive royalties for the first time. Since 2006 £7.5million has been paid to over 1,500 artists.
The benefits offered by the Right and the crucial role in the art industry played by artists’ heirs has been overlooked by Government in its decision today. DACS, the not-for-profit organisation rights management organisation which represents artists and manages the Artist’s Resale Right claims that the rejection of a socially just policy without any justification is a betrayal of the very artists Government claims to support.
Joanna Cave, Chief Executive of DACS, the organisation leading the campaign for full implementation in 2010, said:
“I am devastated for all the artists and their families who believed the Government’s empty words about championing the arts. This irrational decision is a betrayal of the artist community and a rejection of the mountain of evidence. “The Government has delayed this decision once already, in 2006. The Government’s decision to delay once again plays to the hysteria of the art trade – a small minority with good contacts whose economic prospects would not have been impacted in any way compared to those of artists, who will now be feeling the squeeze.
“When the Government said it wanted to see the creative industries thrive, a legitimate expectation would have been that they meant those doing the creating, rather than the Mayfair multi-millionaires creaming off the profit. This decision is an outrage.”
Derek Wyatt MP, in a letter to Secretary of State John Denham MP said:
“The Artist’s Resale Right is not only an incentive for artists’ creativity, but a vital source of income. It equates to a fraction of the market. There could not be a worse moment to start limiting the livelihoods of artists who are already suffering from the economic downturn; now betrayed by a Government that tells them that it wants vibrant creative industries and a fair society that rewards talent.
“With the average artist earning little over £5,000 a year, this decision will be a bitter pill to swallow, when they see the huge profits made by the auction houses.”
Mark Stephens, from law firm Finers Stephens Innocent, said:
“This is a great day for the fat cat art dealers of Cork St and the major auction houses. It is a tragic day for artists and their families who will be turning the gas off this Christmas.
“There are thousands of families in the UK who have been massively affected by this decision and who could become dependent on the state as a result. What madness.”
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Notes to editors
The UK Intellectual Property Office’s press announcement can be found here:http://www.ipo.gov.uk/about/press/press-release/press-release-2008/press-release-20081219.htm
Implementing the Right for resold works by deceased artists and paying the royalties to their families and heirs was delayed under European rules and the Government was given until the end of the year to decide whether to implement the Right in full in 2010 or to delay that for a further two years until 2012.
For more information contact Tania Spriggens, Director of Communications for DACS, Telephone: 020 7553 9052 or 07765 457 845 or email: tania@dacs.org.uk
UK seeks two year extension on Artist’s Resale Right
PRESS RELEASE from the Design and Artists Copyright Society (UK)
British artists and their families were today dealt a crushing blow as the Government announced its intention to once again delay implementation of the Artist’s Resale Right for artists’ heirs and beneficiaries. This irrational and damaging decision undermines the Government’s commitment to support the creative industries and runs contrary to its proclaimed ‘fairness’ agenda.
Despite the Minister for Intellectual Property, David Lammy MP, revealing earlier this year that 90% of the respondents to the Government consultation on the Artist’s Resale Right wrote in favour of implementing the Right for artists’ heirs without further delay, the Government has chosen to ignore their views and disregard the mountain of evidence that proves that this Right does not damage business. This is in stark contrast to the Government’s supposed commitment to evidence-based policy-making.
The Artist’s Resale Right is a system that pays a modest royalty to artists when their original works of art are resold by art dealers, galleries or auction houses. The UK has had this royalty system since 2006 and it has allowed artists, including the young and up-andcoming, to receive royalties for the first time. Since 2006 £7.5million has been paid to over 1,500 artists.
The benefits offered by the Right and the crucial role in the art industry played by artists’ heirs has been overlooked by Government in its decision today. DACS, the not-for-profit organisation rights management organisation which represents artists and manages the Artist’s Resale Right claims that the rejection of a socially just policy without any justification is a betrayal of the very artists Government claims to support.
Joanna Cave, Chief Executive of DACS, the organisation leading the campaign for full implementation in 2010, said:
“I am devastated for all the artists and their families who believed the Government’s empty words about championing the arts. This irrational decision is a betrayal of the artist community and a rejection of the mountain of evidence. “The Government has delayed this decision once already, in 2006. The Government’s decision to delay once again plays to the hysteria of the art trade – a small minority with good contacts whose economic prospects would not have been impacted in any way compared to those of artists, who will now be feeling the squeeze.
“When the Government said it wanted to see the creative industries thrive, a legitimate expectation would have been that they meant those doing the creating, rather than the Mayfair multi-millionaires creaming off the profit. This decision is an outrage.”
Derek Wyatt MP, in a letter to Secretary of State John Denham MP said:
“The Artist’s Resale Right is not only an incentive for artists’ creativity, but a vital source of income. It equates to a fraction of the market. There could not be a worse moment to start limiting the livelihoods of artists who are already suffering from the economic downturn; now betrayed by a Government that tells them that it wants vibrant creative industries and a fair society that rewards talent.
“With the average artist earning little over £5,000 a year, this decision will be a bitter pill to swallow, when they see the huge profits made by the auction houses.”
Mark Stephens, from law firm Finers Stephens Innocent, said:
“This is a great day for the fat cat art dealers of Cork St and the major auction houses. It is a tragic day for artists and their families who will be turning the gas off this Christmas.
“There are thousands of families in the UK who have been massively affected by this decision and who could become dependent on the state as a result. What madness.”
- Ends -
Notes to editors