24th July 2022
Artists will have enhanced rights over their resold works under new regulations signed by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD.
Royalties are paid to artists when a piece of work they have created is subsequently resold by a gallery or art dealer. Artists are entitled to information about such sales, such as date of sale and price paid, so that they can calculate and claim the resale royalty that is due, but there have been, in some instances, long delays in receiving responses to such enquiries. Until now, the only recourse an artist had if they didn’t receive the information, was to the High Court, potentially involving high costs.
From now on, artists will be entitled to information about the resale of their art within 30 days of making a request and recourse will be to a lower court, the Circuit Court.
The Tánaiste said:
“These changes will make it easier for artists to get the necessary information so that they can claim the royalties they are due in a much more timely and efficient manner. No one who has created a piece of work, should be left in the dark about what has happened to their creation and I hope now the regulations will work a bit better for artists and creators.”
The Tánaiste went on to recognise Mr Robert Ballagh’s campaigning on this issue in particular.
“Mr Ballagh has been tireless in his pursuit of improving these regulations for artists and I want to recognise his contribution today.”
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