Copyright and other legal questions
I've bought a painting. What can I do with it?
Purchase of a painting entitles you to unemcumbered ownership of the work. You may hang it within your home or business premises, or give it as a gift to someone else. You may also re-sell it (though please see below for details concerning Resale Royalties). You can take photographs of it for private use. However you may not reproduce the work, in any medium whatsoever, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Copyright in the work remains the property of the artist unless you have specifically negiotiated to purchase it as part of the sale, or as a separate transaction. You should also take all reasonble steps to prevent others from reproducing the work without first having obtained the permission of the artist.
I own a painting. Can I sell it?
Yes, you can. However the Australian Government's Royalty Resale Scheme requires the seller, or the seller's agent, to report all commercial resales for $1,000 or more, whether or not a royalty is payable. More information about the Scheme is available from it's website or Facebook page.
I'd like to reproduce a painting (or part of one). What do I do?
You do not need to buy the painting in order to reproduce all or part of it. You do, however, need copyright permission. This includes photographs and any adapton of the work. Roebourne Art Group will negotiate this on behalf of the artist. Simply contact us at info@roebourneart.com.au for more information.
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We're a not-for-profit? Does that mean we can reproduce art?
No. You still need to negotiate copyright permission, and it is up to the artist whether or not they wish to charge a fee to not-for-profit organisations, and how much that fee might be. Generally speaking, Roebourne Art Group artists are amenable to charging much lower copyright fees if their works are to be used by non-profits, especially those working to improve the lives of indigenous people in Australia.
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Can we take photos in the gallery?
Not without the express permission of staff. Please ask before taking photographs of art or of artists.
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