Copyright Office Calls for Congress to Reconsider Royalties for Artists

The last time the United States Copyright Office examined the issue of whether visual artists should receive a share of the profits when their work is resold, in 1992, it concluded that resale royalties -- known internationally by the French term droit de suite -- were not a good idea. Now, after a recent re-examination of the issue, the Copyright Office has reversed itself. Acknowledging that the current system leaves visual artists at a practical disadvantage relative to other creators such as writers or composers, the office urged Congress to “consider ways to rectify the problem” and give artists a financial interest in the future sale of their work.