Resale right moves closer

A group of top UK artists has urged the Government to “protect the legacy of artists and the heritage of our nation” by bringing the UK into line with EU legislation on resale rights for the work of deceased artists still in copyright. Damien Hirst, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and Sonia Cooper were among those who asserted that they should be “entitled to bequeath our intellectual property – the value of our life’s work – to our families”. The UK Intellectual Property Office has launched its consultation to assess the likely impact of the Artist’s Resale Right. If the Government wishes to avoid allowing it to come into force, it must make a case to the European Commission by the end of the year. The consultation document, which invites responses by 22 September, is available at http://www.ipo.gov.uk