June 13th 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the Artists Resale Right in Ireland. IVARO is asking artists and the arts community to celebrate the anniversary by supporting our campaign to make the Resale Right even more meaningful for artists and their families. Our recommendations can be found on our Advocacy page.
If you are interested in assisting with this campaign please consider sending a letter or email to the Ministers with responsibility or your local TD.
- Find your TD’s contact details
- Use our model letter below
- For more impact write your own letter. Include a couple of sentences about your work as an artist and what the Resale Right would mean to you and your family.
| Heather Humphreys T.D.Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht
23 Kildare Street
|
Mary Mitchell O’Connor TDMinister of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 TD30 Therese Walsh, Private Secretary |
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Dear [Minister / TD],
As one of your constituents I am writing to ask for your support.
The Artists Resale Right was introduced 10 years ago this June. The resale right provides a modest royalty for artists and artists’ estates whenever their work is resold by an auctioneer, art dealer or gallery for €3,000 or more. Supporting both artists and their estates, the resale right enables artists to have a share in the increasing value of their work and allows artists’ estates to continue to care for the artist’s legacy. The right creates equality between visual artists and creators of other copyright works such as musicians, playwrights and authors – all of whom are entitled to receive royalties.
Unfortunately the Directive which introduced the right across the European Union in 2006 was improperly implemented into Irish law. The weak regulations have resulted in a low level of compliance from the art market profession, in particular from galleries and art dealers, many of whom have avoided the right. The regulations do not provide an effective mechanism for the collection of royalties. This has led to a continuing and unacceptable loss of income to artists and their heirs. The ability of an artist to reinvest in their career benefits the wider economy. Additionally the estates of deceased artists, who bear the burden of preserving and safeguarding Ireland’s cultural heritage, would be greatly assisted in their task by the introduction of compulsory collective management and the increase in royalties that this would bring.
The Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation (IVARO) has been managing the right on behalf of its members since 2006. Can I ask you to examine the merits of IVARO’s proposed amendments to the Artists Resale Right Regulations by way of primary legislation. They are asking that the threshold for payment of the right is reduced to €1,000 and for the introduction of collective management so that a greater number of artists can benefit from this right. Further details at: ivaro.ie/advocacy
Signed:
Visual Artist.
Address: