Category Archives: Art Transactions

Seminar Report on Art Law Unveiled: Navigating Modern and Contemporary Art Transactions, 9 November

Posted on: November 20, 2023 by Laura Villarraga Albino

Two weeks ago, the Institute of Art and Law and Wedlake Bell jointly hosted the seminar “Art Law Unveiled: Navigating Modern and Contemporary Art Transactions”. Legal issues surrounding this area were addressed, providing a high-level forum for discussing practical issues, such as art contracts, artists’ representation, the authentication of artworks and the role of collective […]

Important High Court decision on authenticity and dealers’ responsibilities

Posted on: January 23, 2023 by Emily Gould

In an important decision handed down at the end of last year [1] the High Court upheld most of the claims brought by an eminent purchaser against a well-known antiquities dealer in relation to the (in)authenticity of the artefacts in question. It is rare that authenticity claims reach the courts, and when they have done […]

High Court dismisses claim over sale of Chardin painting

Posted on: December 13, 2022 by Michael Bowmer

The High Court has dismissed a multi-million pound negligence claim [Feilding & Anor. v. Simon C. Dickinson Limited [2022] EWHC 3091 (Ch)] brought by the Countess of Wemyss and her co-trustee against an art dealer over the sale of the painting “Le Bénédicité” by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin. The painting had been acquired by the Countess’s ancestors in […]

Shedding light on an opaque market: The latest anti-money laundering guidance for the UK art market

Posted on: December 8, 2022 by Julia Rodrigues Casella Hommes

The latest guidance on the anti-money laundering (AML) regulations as they pertain to the UK art market has finally brought about some much-needed clarification on some aspects of the regulations that had remained up until now somewhat difficult to comprehend and, more importantly, apply to day to day business. There are many aspects of the […]

Can an NFT be art? And why it matters…

Posted on: January 26, 2022 by Emily Gould

Term has started again this week for students of the Art Business and Law LLM provided by IAL in conjunction with Queen Mary, University of London. This semester, students will embark on three diverse new topics: Art and Intellectual Property, covering the intangible aspects of art; Art and Money, exploring the financial parameters of the […]

New guidance from UK Government on money laundering risks for the art trade

Posted on: July 20, 2021 by Emily Gould and Alyssa Weitkamp

On 28th June, the UK Government published further guidance on the application of anti-money laundering (AML) rules to the UK art trade. As many readers will be aware, since January 2020, anti-money laundering regulations have applied to art market participants, or AMPs (traders or intermediaries involved in the sale or purchase of works of art […]

NFTs – contemplating copyright and contract conundrums (part II)

Posted on: June 2, 2021 by Emily Gould

In our post last week, we explored some of the copyright issues raised by recent stories from the world of NFTs. Today, we turn our focus to matters of contract law. How can we address the challenges posed by contractual mechanisms unfamiliar to many in the art world? And where we might look for answers […]

NFTs – contemplating copyright and contract conundrums (part I)

Posted on: May 28, 2021 by Emily Gould

It hardly seems possible that the now world-famous sale of Beeple’s ‘Everydays’ NFT at the eyewatering price of $69 million happened less than three months ago. The sale was still underway when we first offered a few thoughts on the explosion of NFTs onto the mainstream art market. Bidding was at what now feels like […]

Lights out for Fairlight – Court of Appeal upholds High Court decision in dispute over alleged Frans Hals painting

Posted on: December 14, 2020 by Emily Gould

An intriguing and long-running saga involving an alleged Old Master painting, a London art dealer, a US investor and an international auction house appears to have reached its conclusion. For those following the case of Sotheby’s v Weiss Limited and Fairlight Art Ventures LLP, with all its twists and turns, the latest (and possibly the […]

High Court orders London gallery to provide information about stolen Signac

Posted on: November 3, 2020 by Michael Bowmer

A Norwich Pharmacal order was recently made against a London gallery requiring it to disclose information concerning a painting which the claimant contended had been stolen from her. In doing so the court refused to accept the argument on behalf of the gallery that no order should be made on account of the custom and […]