# Inherited rights to artwork

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655 "2018-09-20T21:46:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hoppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e274bd/32.png) [@Hoppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoppy)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655/1 "2018-09-20T21:46:46Z")

</div>

My friend’s father was an artist (he’s dead), his paintings are collectable and sell for ~100k. My friend said whenever one of the paintings sells, he gets a percentage (don’t know how big) of the sale price, because he inherited his father’s estate (this is n the uk).

I didn’t know that an artist retained an interest in an artwork after it was sold. How long does this interest last ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655/2 "2018-09-20T21:58:19Z")

</div>

It may be something in the will, where paintings are sold from the estate because I’ve never heard of such a thing otherwise. How could you even track a private sale between strangers?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655/3 "2018-09-20T22:00:57Z")

</div>

This is a thing in at least UK and Australia. Only applicable to sales using art auctions, involving museums, etc.

> **[Artist's Resale Right](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/artists-resale-right)**
>
> Authors of original works of art are entitled to a royalty each time one of their works is resold through an art market professional.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hoppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e274bd/32.png) [@Hoppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoppy)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655/4 "2018-09-20T22:44:38Z")

</div>

Thank you, that explains it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inherited-rights-to-artwork/821655/5 "2018-09-20T23:27:14Z")

</div>

> [@silenus](#):
>
> How could you even track a private sale between strangers?

Thereby answering _that_ question! Good job, **Folly**!