DACS press release: DACS Recovers Over £520,000 in Unpaid Resale Royalties

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DACS has been leading a successful campaign to recover thousands of pounds in royalties owed to artists and estates by galleries, auction houses and dealers who have not been complying with the UK’s Artist’s Resale Right regulations.

Artists losing out on important revenue

Introduced into UK law in 2006, the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) enables artists to get a small royalty when their work re-sells in the UK for €1,000 or more. It was extended in 2012 to last a further 70 years after an artist’s death so that their estate can also benefit.

Whilst the majority of UK auction houses, galleries and dealers comply with the regulations, a number have not paid artists their due royalties by failing to declare some or all of their sales.

Artists and estates lose out on this important revenue which would otherwise go towards regular expenses such as rent, materials, insurance and storage or services such as authenticating and conserving works.

It also puts the majority of art market professionals who comply with the regulations at a competitive disadvantage.

DACS leads campaign to recover unpaid royalties

As there is no formal enforcement of ARR, DACS began a campaign in 2015 to target non-compliant art market professionals who had not been declaring their sales.

Since then we have successfully recovered £520,130 in royalties owed to our members from back-dated sales.

We are actively pursuing those who continue to avoid paying royalties by not declaring sales.  We are also working closely with artists and estates on cases where it is believed a resale royalty may be due.

If you believe there is a case of non-compliance or that you may be due resale royalties, please get in touch with our Artists’ Services Team so that they can investigate the case and seek to recover the resale royalties where they are due: compliance@dacs.org.uk.

The future of the Artist’s Resale Right in the UK

ARR remains an opportunity, supporting the UK’s thriving creative economy.  Despite the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, ARR remains part of UK law and will continue to apply unchanged.  

DACS will continue to advocate the benefits of ARR and play an active role in ensuring that royalties from all eligible UK art sales go back to the artists that created them.