Law

Belgium plans to hand back colonial loot to DR Congo

New law will set up expert commission to sift through thousands of objects at the Royal Museum for Central Africa

Two artists face federal charges for faking Indigenous heritage

The Washington-based artists have been charged with claiming enrollment in Indigenous tribes, violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act

Lawyer who sparked criminal probe into Guy Wildenstein tax case found guilty of fraudulently hiding $5.1m

Claude Dumont-Beghi has managed to partially challenge her conviction, though judges uphold money laundering decision

'We will not forget about Viktor': incarcerated Russian arms dealer's art goes on show in Moscow

Viktor Bout was handed a 25-year sentence in the US in 2010 for conspiring to sell weapons to FARC, Colombia's largest rebel group

Russianews

Teacher at prestigious Moscow art school accused of abusing his underage students

Court has ordered the arrest of Viktor Yelizarov after more than ten former pupils came forward with allegations against him

Art trade in ‘constructive dialogue’ with UK government as economic crime levy policy paper is published

Levy threatened to disproportionately affect galleries, which measure turnover differently to auction houses

Art collector sues NFT platform Nifty Gateway over Beeple auction

Amir Soleymani, who has had his Nifty account and assets frozen, has accused the platform of changing its terms of sale

'No matter how wealthy you are, no one is above the law': New York court rejects Sotheby's attempt to dismiss suit alleging it helped collector evade tax on $27m of art

Attorney general claims the auction house created and used tax exemption certificates that falsely presented the buyer as an art dealer in order to dodge payments. Sotheby's says it will continue to contest the case

Art marketcomment

The tension between copyright law and Appropriation art: where is the line between artistic innovation and stealing?

As a US court issues a decision on the dispute between the Andy Warhol Foundation and photographer Lynn Goldsmith, two lawyers explore past case studies in this legally controversial area

Lawnews

Trial date set for Belgian artist Jan Fabre following three-year #MeToo investigation

Choreographer faces charges of sexual harassment and indecent assault

Genevan court dismisses Dimitry Rybolovev's case against art dealer Yves Bouvier—but feud between the two billionaires is not over yet

Russian art collector had sued for double dealing and will now appeal decision, while Bouvier plans to launch $1bn countersuit for damages—and write a tell-all book

Lawnews

North Carolina film-maker’s copyright case against the state revived after Supreme Court denial

A district court will now consider whether Rick Allen’s footage of a pirate ship salvage operation was unjustly taken by state officials

Safani Gallery's lawsuit against Italy over disputed antiquity dismissed in court

The New York-based gallery sued after US authorities seized a bust of Alexander the Great in 2018. The sculpture's ownership and future remains unresolved

German socialite Angela Gulbenkian pleads guilty to theft in London court

The charges against her stemmed from the fraudulent sale of a £1.1m Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture to a Hong Kong collector, while a similar claim against her over a Warhol portrait remains in German court

Lawnews

Settlement reached over Robert Indiana’s estate—paving way for planned museum in artist's home in Maine

Under the agreement, the Morgan Art Foundation will continue to promote the Pop artist's work in museums and on the market

If you sell art in the UK, you must register for anti-money laundering supervision by tomorrow—or risk prosecution

"Art market participants" who sell works of art worth €10,000 (£8,600) or more must register with the HMRC by 10 June

Lawnews

French heir renounces title to Nazi-looted Pissarro painting found in Oklahoma

The Shepherdess Bringing in Sheep will return this summer to the University of Oklahoma, which will seek a French partner for future exchanges

Not laughing now: Banksy loses second trademark case over famous monkey image

Ruling slams British street artist for “sham efforts” in trying to mislead the European Union Intellectual Property Office

Designnews

Artists’ signal-jamming chandelier sculpture challenges our reliance on technology—and FCC laws

The goal of the design is to encourage interpersonal connections and promote mental health

Bill and Melinda Gates are divorcing—what will happen to their art?

As the multi-billionaire couple announce they are ending their marriage, we look at some of the art world's bitterest splits

Lawnews

Tate Modern neighbours head to Supreme Court over 'relentless' invasion of privacy

Residents next to the London museum continue legal battle after losing case to close viewing platform that allows visitors to see inside their flats

US judge throws out latest non-payment case involving Anatole Shagalov

Dispute with Artemus centred on a multimillion-dollar leaseback arrangement involving Keith Haring and Frank Stella works

French galleries sue state over Covid-19 closure

The gallery association CPGA is going to court, claiming its members are “victims of a distortion of competition” as auction houses are allowed to stay open

NFTcomment

The looming legal and regulatory questions NFT collectors and sellers should prepare for

An expert in anti-money laundering laws shares her thoughts on the booming digital art marketplace

Virtual museum law conference shows how the pandemic has affected institutional administration

From dealing with cyberattacks on newly implemented digital offerings, to figuring out how to renegotiate a postponed loan, the coronavirus has raised a whole new crop of issues for museums

Lawnews

New York Supreme Court permanently bans gallery from showing ‘distorted’ image of artist’s work

Pat Lipsky had sued Spanierman Gallery under the 1980 Artist Authorship Rights Act for digitally manipulating a photograph of her Color Field painting Bright Music II

Greecenews

Archaeologists appeal to Greek prime minister to halt restructuring of five big antiquities museums

Experts oppose culture ministry's proposal to separate Greece's major museums from the state archaeological service

Art marketcomment

Risky business: how new US sanctions regulations will actually impact the art market

The US government has the 'regulatory vacuum' in its sights—here is a guide to who will be affected and how

Ukrainian art scholar reportedly tortured and imprisoned by Russian forces on ‘absurd’ espionage charges

International Council of Museums committees in Ukraine and Poland appeal for help to secure Olena Pekh's release

Germany proposes law change to ease Nazi-loot returns from private foundations

Law change follows refusal by some foundations to restitute property lost due to Nazi persecution