Resale rights
After the first alienation (first sale) of an original work of visual art, when the work is resold in public (auctioned or sold via art galleries, art salons, stores, online stores, auction houses or similar as intermediaries), the author is entitled to royalties to the extent stipulated by the law.
The author of an original visual artwork (painting, drawing, engraving, lithograph, photograph, sculpture, tapestry etc.) and the author’s heirs keep the rights called droit de suite to receive royalties for each episode of the work’s subsequent sales during the author’s life and for 70 years following the author’s death.
The authors and their heirs, who have not concluded agreements with AKKA/LAA, may demand the royalties visiting the offices of AKKA/LAA and presenting a document confirming their identity (or a certificate of inheritance endorsed by a notary).
The authors who have concluded agreements with AKKA/LAA do not need to hand in additional documents or make extra agreements. AKKA/LAA collects royalties on their behalf, and pays them out in compliance with the conditions of distribution.
The sellers of visual art have a duty to submit to society AKKA/LAA reports concerning the works of art sold by them, and AKKA/LAA in turn computes the royalties and pays them out to the authors and the heirs.