What does DACS stand for?
DACS stands for the Design and Artists Copyright Society. DACS is a not-for-profit visual artists’ rights management organisation.
What are artist resale rights?
The Artist’s Resale Right was introduced in the UK in 2006. When an artist’s work has been resold on the secondary market for £1000 or more, the artist is entitled to 4% royalties.
DACS offer a dedicated service from their in-house team of experts, who collect the resale royalties and provide a quick, efficient payment service trusted by thousands of UK artists.
What type of Artist qualifies for artist resale rights?
You must be a national of the UK or a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA). If you have dual nationality, for instance if you are American but also hold a British passport, you may also be entitled to a resale royalty.
How much money will you get?
This depends on the resale price. The higher the sale price for the artwork, the lower the overall royalty rate. Your royalty is worked out according to a sliding scale from 4% to 0.25%.
What type of artwork qualifies for artist resale rights?
The Artist’s Resale Right covers the following:
- Any copyright-protected work of graphic or plastic art, for example a picture, collage, painting, drawing, engraving, print, lithograph, sculpture, tapestry, ceramic, glassware, or photograph.
- Limited editions - the Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 state that any copy of an artwork “which is one of a limited number made by the artist or under his/her authority” qualifies. This also includes prints which are bought directly from a publishing house and then resold to the public. The law does not state an upper limit on the number of items in an edition. Please refer to a copy of the British Standards Classification of Prints (BS7876)
- Furniture, silverware, and jewellery pieces, created by a named artist or craftsperson and which qualify for copyright protection (please note it is unlikely that mass-produced items will be covered by the Right).
- Posters of a graphic work such as a lithograph, etching or original print authored by a named artist, though commercial reproductions of artworks in the form of unlimited posters and prints do not.
What if the artwork was made in collaboration with other artists?
The resale royalty is divided equally (unless you have agreed different shares). For example, two artists working in collaboration may each receive 50% of any royalties arising from the resale of their work.
How do I pay artist resale rights?
Your artist resale rights will be included clearly on your invoice.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to discuss it with a member of our team.
