The introduction of a revised bill for the Equity for Visual Artists Act, which would introduce into US law the artist’s resale right (droit de suite) was announced at a meeting of the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) in New York on 25th November.

The original bill, “to amend the copyright law to secure the rights of artists of works of visual art to provide for royalties, and for other purposes” was introduced before Congress in 2011, sponsored by New York congressman Jerrold L. Nadler.  The new bill is likely to reduce the percentage of the sale price payable to artists whose work is resold at auction to around 5% so as to bring it more into line with the rate imposed in Europe (which starts at 4%).  The bill would apply only to auction sales, not to sales by commercial galleries.