Legal
'It could have been more serious, even fatal': lead poisoning claim by Versailles restoration workers reaches court
Six stand accused of negligence causing involuntary harm, including the culture ministry’s heritage operator, for its role in overseeing the restoration of the Château de Versailles
Nudes by major Indian artists F. N. Souza and Akbar Padamsee embroiled in 'obscenity' dispute
The seven works were seized by Mumbai customs last year due to their sensitive content
Israel in contravention of UN court ruling as it carries out ‘genocidal military campaign’ in Gaza, new Forensic Architecture report says
Report refutes Israel’s claims in The Hague that it has implemented "humanitarian measures" to prevent the loss of civilian life
Paris court finds billionaire dealer Guy Wildenstein guilty of tax fraud
He has received a four year prison sentence and been fined €1m for concealing from authorities a massive art collection to avoid paying inheritance tax
Auction of living artist's skin cancelled after collector buys all lots in advance
Christie’s was due to support the sale of Wolfgang Flatz's tattooed tissue
Court of Appeal ruling will prevent UK museums from charging reproduction fees—at last
Those © symbols on UK museum websites and catalogues are now redundant if the original work of art is out of copyright
Supreme court ruling concludes lengthy battle over Franz West estate
The Austrian sculptor's art will go to his private foundation overturning previous decision granting ownership to West's widow and children
How an Oscar statuette row highlights issues around resale rights in the US
A Californian ruling blocking the resale of an Academy Award may bring clarity over transfer of ownership of living artists’ work
Internal Revenue Service warns of tax scam targeting collectors
Scheme involves inflating value of donated works to claim bigger tax deductions
Jewish cabaret artist’s heirs file suit for return of 12 works by Schiele
Vienna museums sued for return of works held by collector murdered in Dachau
Scheme to sell fractions of Banksy’s Valentine’s Day Mascara could be illegal, lawyer says
Online company managing the Margate mural, intended as a comment on domestic abuse, has already sold more than £250,000 in shares
Venice Biennale artist Alberta Whittle accused of using parts of another artist’s sculpture in her work
Mary Redmond has launched copyright claims against Whittle and the National Galleries of Scotland
Former OpenSea employee sentenced to three months in prison in first-ever NFT insider-trading case
Nathaniel Chastain's landmark case has come to a close, setting a new precedent in the realm of digital assets
How a lawsuit over a jointly owned Anna Weyant painting is making opaque art market structures more transparent
Governments are increasingly aware of the risks involved with using shell companies and other complex dealings to trade art
In the wake of climate protests and pandemics, collectors are growing wary of loaning art to museums
Prospective lenders are increasingly nervous that their works will be targeted by attacks or be vulnerable to a lack of security during museum closures
MoMA trustee Leon Black accused of rape
A lawsuit claims that the billionaire sexually assaulted a woman in Jeffrey Epstein's New York mansion
Qatari sheikh wins £4.2m lawsuit against prominent London dealer John Eskenazi
While the judge decided the defendant sold the works in good faith, he ruled that all seven objects purchased by the sheikh are fakes
Paris gallerists—found guilty of selling Picasso works stolen by handyman—receive suspended jail sentences
Belle et Belle gallery has now been dissolved, closing the chapter on a decade-long criminal investigation
The last laugh? EU rules in favour of challenged Banksy trademark
Overturned ruling allows Banksy to continue to conceal his identity, according to a trademark lawyer
Disgraced antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor sentenced to ten years in prison by Indian court
The ruling culminates an extensive investigation into a smuggling ring headed by Kapoor
Charm, pedigree, contacts: how to dupe the art market
Court documents from the ongoing Inigo Philbrick fraud saga reveal that the secretive art market and the sheer attractiveness of its lifestyle will always suck the punters in
German dealer Johann König responds to allegations of ‘sexual misconduct’ from ten women
Claims were first published by Die Zeit newspaper, but König says the report is “false and misleading”
Russian museum founder and former mayor faces prison for criticising Ukraine invasion
Yevgeny Roizman, who established the Nevyansk Icon Museum in Yekaterinburg, was until yesterday the last prominent opposition politician in Russia to not have been arrested for speaking out against the war
Russian artist Yulia Tsvetkova—who faced six years in prison on pornography charges for her drawings—is acquitted in court
But the artist's mother warns that worst is not over as prosecutors can still appeal for a resentencing
Artist can take Maurizio Cattelan to court over banana work, says Florida judge
Joe Morford claims that the viral Comedian piece infringes copyright on his own duct tape work Banana & Orange
What does New York’s abrupt winding back of auction house regulations mean for the art market?
The houses say they will not change their practices, but the move could mean more opaque bidding and guarantees
NFTs ruled as digital assets after Singapore court freezes blockchain sale of Bored Ape
Collector has won a court injunction to stop the sale of an NFT that was used as collateral against a loan
Experts fear New York City slashing auction house regulations could erode collector trust and confidence
As the city council cuts auction regulations, the houses say they will not change their practices, but the prospect of more opaque bidding and guarantees may prove irresistible
NFTs recognised as ‘legal property’ in landmark case
Victims of NFT thefts are now likely to have greater protection in the UK—though other jurisdictions are lagging behind
New Twitter safety rules banning non-consensual imagery branded 'a declaration of war against photojournalists'
Social media giant will now delete published images and videos that violate a person's privacy—a move that could prove detrimental to news reporting