As the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) held the 35th session of its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), Maureen Duffy spoke on behalf of the IAF to give the authors view on the Artist’s Resale Right.
WIPO is a special agency of the United Nations dealing with copyright at an international level. The SCCR includes government representatives of the 188 UN Member States.
The full statement is as follows.
The International Authors Forum represents authors including visual artists and we wish to express our thanks to all those member states who have supported the Artists Resale Right inclusion on the SCCR agenda, in particular Congo and Senegal for its proposal.
We welcome the result of the studies on Artist’s Resale Right which have shown that this right does not have a negative effect on the arts market. This further shows that this measure should be introduced in all countries to ensure that creators receive fair remuneration for their creativity.
It is important that artists in all countries can benefit from the resale of their creations without disadvantage, in a global art market it is vital creators are not disadvantaged by the resale right having a limited reach.
The resale right helps to create an eco system where arts flourish by continuing payment to creators, funding the seed of their next creation. A consistent approach to artists’ rights internationally will ensure that in every country, artists creation is respected and encouraged.
The International Authors Forum welcomes the introduction of the Artist’s Resale Right on the SCCR agenda which we hope and trust will result in a levelling of the playing field across the globalised art market that benefits all artists no matter where their work is sold.