ARTIST'S RESALE RIGHT DIRECTIVE AND SUPPORT FOR THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY

EDM number 479 in 2004-05, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 12/01/2005.

That this House notes the forthcoming publication by the Patent Office of its consultation document on the detailed implementation of the Artists' Resale Right Directive; welcomes this opportunity to comment upon the implementation of legislation which entitles visual creators whose work is protected by copyright to a share of the price each time their work is resold, thus helping the creative community by enabling artists to share in their work's commercial success and increasing value; notes that the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) represents 36,000 fine artists and their heirs in addition to 16,000 photographers, illustrators, craftspeople, cartoonists, architects, animators and designers; supports the view of DACS that the Directive should be implemented so that as many artists and their heirs as possible can benefit from its provisions; believes that collection of royalties should be through an efficient and compulsory system administered by a not-for-profit organisation such as DACS, that the rate of royalty at the minimum resale price should be set at 5 per cent., and that the resale price threshold at which it becomes payable should be as low as practicable in order to benefit artists on lower incomes and those whose work does not command high prices; and believes that this legislation will give a substantial boost not only to thousands of artists and their heirs, but also to the whole art market.

This motion has been signed by a total of 70 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.