The Artist's Resale Right’s importance for artists and the UK economy raised at the House of Lords
On Thursday 14 November 2023, the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) was raised in a debate about the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The benefits of the Artists’ Resale Right (ARR) were raised last week in a debate over future international agreements at the House of Lords, by Nicholas Trench, the Earl of Clancarty.
The ARR was introduced in the UK in 2006, following an EU law, which meant that it was at risk after Brexit. This year, it was announced that the Artists’ Resale Right will be retained in the UK.
DACS continues to campaign for the global adoption of ARR, where artists are entitled to royalties for when their work has been resold on the art market, so that international artists benefit from this right, and UK artists get their due royalties for international sales. Since 2006, DACS has paid out over £120million to artists and estates.
Artists invest ARR royalties into their practice which, in turn, supports the arts ecosystem. It is therefore not just individual artists who benefit but the culture as a whole, particularly since estates will also use the moneys to archive and restore work. It is important to note that, contrary to erstwhile concerns, there is no evidence that ARR has negatively impacted the UK art market or diverted sales to non-ARR markets.
Earl of Clancarty
