Law, crime and regulation

Who has the resale right? The artist holding copyright of their work or a qualifying body to whom they have assigned the right under the regulations, such as a charity. Until January 1, 2010, the right only applies if the artist is living.

THE case against an auctioneer accused of trading in stolen goods as part of a £30m antiques crime ring has collapsed.

ATG have received these new pictures of two men thought to be targeting antique shops and centres in the Thames Valley area.

POLICE are appealing for information following the theft of four stuffed heads of wild animals that were stolen from a Leicestershire house.

THE Swiss authorities have launched a criminal investigation into scam guide firms and their associated debt recovery agencies.

Police in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, are investigating a series of thefts from antiques shops and galleries in the area over the last month, which officers believe are linked.

ART donations to public collections could soon be used to partially offset income tax.

BY IVAN MACQUISTEN Droit de Suite, the much-feared extra levy on art sales, cannot now be introduced in the UK on January 1 next year.

LAPADA have organised a free legal seminar for members in conjunction with the City law firm Withers to take place at 5.30pm on Wednesday, November 30 at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1.

A French court has upheld the right of Paris auction firm Artcurial to use the name F. Tajan in their full title Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan.

POLICE are warning antiques dealers to look out for the two men, pictured left, who they believe are professional thieves targeting antiques centres and shops.

Auctioneers in Essex are being asked to exercise extra vigilence after Colchester auctioneers Reeman Dansie had an unwelcome visitor return to their salerooms on August 9.

A SINGLE vendor has been trying to sell very convincing fake silver smallwork through auction rooms in central and southwest England.

NO issue has caused more reader complaints to ATG in the past decade than scam guides targeting the trade. Now there is a chance to put a stop to them by signing up to a Europe-wide campaign.

THIEVES escaped with £10,000 worth of furniture and antiques in a raid on a dealer in Staffordshire.

CLASS-action legal specialists Garden City Group (GCG) believe compensation cheques linked to the Sotheby’s/Christie’s collusion case will be sent out by August.

Dealers are being warned to be vigilant following a suspected cheque fraud at the Summer Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fair.

Horners Auctioneers in Acle, near Norwich lost half the lots for their auction when thieves broke in the night before the sale.

FOUR people linked to a £30m crime spree have denied selling hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of art and antiques.

MONTHS of lobbying and debate over droit de suite have now come to an an end. Parties on all sides have submitted their views to the Patent Office on how the art resale levy should be introduced into the UK and administered.