Resale rights for visual artists royalty scheme - administrator appointed

An important part of the new resale royalty scheme for visual artists has been settled, with the appointment of the Copyright Agency Limited to act as the collecting society to implement and administer the scheme.

The Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists Act 2009 (Cth), which is set to commence on 9 June 2010, will allow visual artists to share in the benefits of the secondary art market.

According to Peter Garrett, the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, the Copyright Agency Limited "will set up the resale royalty scheme, establish an advisory body, collect and pay royalties to artists, educate the sector about the scheme and develop reciprocal arrangements with other countries that have resale royalty schemes in place."