Law, crime and regulation

The way Droit de Suite is applied in France was affirmed by a French court ruling last month.

MADAM – I write for the purposes of maintaining the trade in general, and in advance of knowing the provisions in the forthcoming law regulating the UK ivory trade (which can only act to the detriment of the trade and do nothing to save the elephant). The law could consider the separation of items solely made of ivory from those that contain ivory as a constituent part.

In ATG’s coverage of Brexit in the past year, we regularly asked which EU-inspired law we could most live without. Unanimously the response was Artist’s Resale Right, a royalty on the resale of art hammered above €1000.

Firms urged to be aware of risk after string of email invoice frauds

Stricter rules around the collection and use of data will have a “significant impact” on the art and antiques business, delegates at an Auction Technology Group (ATG) seminar in London were told last week.

The legal impasse surrounding the restitution of thousands of historical documents and manuscripts from the scandal-hit Aristophil investment scheme was finally broken last week.

Concerns are mounting that a new government money laundering watchdog will lead to further red tape for dealers and auctioneers in the UK.

Munich coin fair raided by 30 police as Nagel moves Asian sale to Austria

European CITES management authorities published a nine-page guidance report last week following a decision to protect all species of rosewood.

The antiques trade has expressed disappointment following the Spring Budget, after its reform of business rates fell short of the wholesale changes requested by industry bodies.