In May 2008 the government introduced the Copyright (Artists’ Resale Right) Amendment Bill. This Bill amends the Copyright Act 1994 to insert a new, stand-alone part to establish a resale right for visual artists in New Zealand.
A resale right entitles an artist to receive a resale royalty payment each time an original artistic work is resold on the secondary art market.
It will apply only where ownership in a work is transferred by sale after the first transfer of ownership of that work by the artist. It will not apply to the first sale or transfer of an artistic work, and it will not apply to sales between private individuals.