Category Archives: Art Market

Adapting to the new normal – challenges for the art market

Posted on: October 19, 2020 by Emily Gould

The opening of a ‘virtual’ Frieze week in London earlier this month was a reminder of both the significant challenges Covid-19 has posed to the art market, and the innovative and creative responses which have emerged. In contrast to the usual spectacle of bustling crowds cramming into marquees in London’s Regent’s Park, Frieze London 2020 […]

IS A STORM BREWING IN THE BANKSY TRADE MARK TEACUP?

Posted on: October 7, 2020 by Adam Jomeen

Banksy hit the headlines last month when an EU trade mark featuring his iconic Flower Thrower graffiti was struck down by the EU’s Intellectual Property Office, reigniting claims that the Bristolian street artist is abusing trademark law to secure rights against third parties who commercialise his work without consent.  Whilst Banksy could in principle take […]

UK Ivory Ban: End to the lawsuit but Ivory Act is not enforceable just yet

Posted on: September 25, 2020 by Georgiana Stables

The IAL blog has avidly followed the debate surrounding the UK’s position on the trade of ivory artefacts over the last two years, see June 2020 Update, November 2019 Update, July 2019 Update, May 2018 Update, April 2018 Update, January 2018 Update. The latest development has seen the Supreme Court denying the request to appeal made […]

Latest issue of Art Antiquity & Law available now

Posted on: September 8, 2020 by Julia Rodrigues Casella Hommes

We are pleased to announce that the latest issue (Vol XXV, 2) of our journal Art Antiquity & Law is available now, please see below for details on subscriptions and access.  Paul Kearns provides the readers with a comprehensive panorama of the international legal regulations on freedom of artistic expression, a fundamental but much overlooked and […]

Recent report on the illicit antiquities trade receives mixed response

Posted on: June 10, 2020 by Charlotte Dunn

A UNESCO-backed research project into the illicit trade in cultural property in Germany has recently released its final report. The ‘ILLICID Project’, launched by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, aimed to increase understanding of illicit trafficking networks and financial flows linked to organised crime and terrorism. However, the findings of the final […]

A final judgment? Court of Appeal rules in favour of the Ivory Act 2018

Posted on: June 5, 2020 by Charlotte Dunn

We have been following the debate over the UK’s position on ivory on the IAL blog over the past few years. The latest development has seen the Court of Appeal uphold the decision of the High Court, finding the Ivory Act 2018 to be lawful. What does this mean for the future of the ivory […]

In matters of export and art, the state always seems to have its way

Posted on: April 7, 2020 by Alexander Herman

When it comes to the export of works of art, the state always wins… or at least it can seem that way. The latest case to offer proof comes from the Court of Appeal of England and Wales in the matter of R (Simonis) v Arts Council England. Of course, matters of exporting cultural goods […]

Coronavirus, art and contract

Posted on: April 3, 2020 by Geoffrey Bennett

The impact of the Coronavirus epidemic is likely to be felt for many years across a wide range of legal issues including employment, the supply of goods and services and even human rights. In the art world, major fairs in Asia and Europe have been cancelled at comparatively short notice, auctions postponed and major exhibitions […]

UK Guidance on Anti-Money Laundering released for the art market

Posted on: March 10, 2020 by Julia Rodrigues Casella Hommes

The highly anticipated guidance on implementing and complying with the new anti-money laundering rules for the art trade was finally released a few weeks ago. The lengthy document, which totals over 100 pages, was in fact prepared by the British Art Market Federation (BAMF), and has received formal approval by the HMRC. As such, it […]

New issue of Art Antiquity & Law available now

Posted on: January 16, 2020 by Julia Rodrigues Casella Hommes

As we leave behind the festive season, the latest issue of Art Antiquity & Law has just been released in time for you to start the new year with the latest in-depth analyses from the world of art and cultural heritage law. Adam Jomeen writes about street photography and compares the legal treatments afforded to […]