Welcome to my art law website.

This blog has been designed to bring you the latest interesting art law cases in this exciting emerging sector based area of law.

These days there is always an interesting art law case in the news; whether it’s another Banksy being ripped off the wall of someone’s property for auction sale sparking a debate about who owns street art and what is public art or whether it be a sensational art heist or act of criminal damage or “sleeper” in an auction sale there is always an art law story.

Art law is a term that has entered the legal landscape. There are an increasing number of new art law books being written for UK lawyers and for “art law” as a legal discipline there is a growing body of case-law in the UK as well as it already being an established area in the US and in Europe.

It is no longer the preserve of a few Swiss lawyers or US attorneys. It is an international area of law which can involve highly complicated jurisdictional issues involving sales transactions that take place world-wide in sales rooms, dealers’ show rooms or galleries and online and can involve wonderfully complex moral issues arising in cultural heritage, restitution and artists resale rights cases.

My blog aims to cover a cross range of the legal issues such as: copyright and IP; restitution; art crime such as fakes, forgeries and art heists; negligence in auctions such as misattributions or failure to do due diligence in provenance checks; disputes over title; cultural heritage issues including restitution and national treasure laws and bars on exports of culturally important artwork.

My blog is not legalistic, although I do review cases and developments in the law; it has been written for a public access audience. If there is a case I have missed or you wish to engage me in an art law debate on some issue, please contact me here.

Hope you enjoy it!