The validity of the California Resale Royalty Act (the “RRA,” Civil Code Section 986), a 1976 law that requires resellers of fine art to pay a royalty of 5 percent to the artists behind the works, has again come under attack in a dispute between a group of artists and Christie’s Inc., Sotheby’s Inc., and … Continue Reading
Artists and auction houses both declared victory on January 11 when the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in a case concerning the constitutionality of the California Resale Royalties Act of 1976 (CRRA). But curiously, the artists and auction houses were on opposite sides of the case. The CRRA recognizes an artist’s “moral right” to the … Continue Reading