Law & Politics In a Blow to Experience-Art Emporium Meow Wolf, a Judge Allows an Artist’s Copyright Lawsuit to Proceed Meow Wolf had moved to dismiss most of the artist's claim, but the judge denied their motion. By Sarah Cascone, Dec 9, 2020
Law & Politics Prosecutors Are Issuing Subpoenas to Sotheby’s and Christie’s as Part of an Investigation Into Jeffrey Epstein’s Financial Dealings Prosecutors in the US Virgin Islands issued the subpoenas. By Eileen Kinsella, Dec 8, 2020
Law & Politics In the US Supreme Court, Germany Fights With Art Dealers’ Heirs Over the Fate of the $250 Million Guelph Treasure The valuable haul was sold at what the heirs say was a severely discounted price. By Sarah Cascone, Dec 8, 2020
Law & Politics Looking to Hedge Their Bets in Unpredictable Times, Auction Houses and Consignors Are Locked in Tense Battles Over Contracts The art market is getting a whole lot more cautious. By Charlotte Burns, Dec 6, 2020
Law & Politics Six Black Photojournalists Are Suing BuzzFeed for Publishing Their Instagram Images of This Summer’s Protests Without Consent Buzzfeed has since removed the photographers' images from the article. By Artnet News, Dec 1, 2020
Law & Politics The Developer Who Painted Over the 5Pointz Graffiti Mecca Must Pay an Additional $2 Million to Cover the Artists’ Legal Fees The stipulation brings the fines associated with the case to $8.75 million. By Eileen Kinsella, Nov 30, 2020
Law & Politics A London Court Has Upheld a Ruling Ordering an Art Collector to Pay Sotheby’s $5.3 Million for Selling an Allegedly Forged Frans Hals Art collector David Kowitz's company has yet to pay for its portion of an alleged forgery. By Taylor Dafoe, Nov 25, 2020
Law & Politics A Billionaire Collector Is Suing Hirschl and Adler Galleries for Allegedly Swindling Him Over the Sale of a $12 Million Presidential Painting Former hedge-fund manager Michael Steinhardt says the gallery misled him during a consignment. By Taylor Dafoe, Nov 23, 2020
Law & Politics The ‘Toxic’ Legal Battle Over Zaha Hadid’s $132 Million Estate Has a Silver Lining: It Will Lead to the Establishment of a New Museum The executors of the late architect's estate have spent the past four years locked in bitter legal battle. By Sarah Cascone, Nov 20, 2020
Law & Politics A French Court Acquits Four Anti-Colonial Activists Who Removed a Spear From a Museum, Saying the Gesture Counts as Free Speech The Congolese activist Mwazulu Diyabanza says the verdict sets an encouraging precedent. By Naomi Rea, Nov 19, 2020
Law & Politics A Giant Statue of Marilyn Monroe Will Be Installed in Front of the Palm Springs Art Museum. Its Director Says It Objectifies Women A museum trustee warns that 'Forever Marilyn' implies "an unhealthy encouragement of risqué behavior of women.” By Artnet News, Nov 18, 2020
Law & Politics Dealers Try to Repel Speculators by Making Buyers Agree Not to Flip Their Art. But Can Those Contracts Actually Be Enforced? The threat of getting blacklisted might be an effective deterrent, but leading lawyers argue that non-resale clauses might not be enforceable in court. By Ivan Macquisten, Nov 18, 2020
Law & Politics Six Artists Are Suing a Property Owner for Painting Over Beloved Murals at a Famed San Francisco Gay Bar During Pride Month The artists are suing under the Visual Artists Rights Act, which allows for up to $150,000 per destroyed artwork. By Brian Boucher, Nov 18, 2020
Law & Politics Raids by Hundreds of German Police Have Led to the Arrest of Three Suspects in Connection to the Sensational Jewel Heist From Dresden’s Green Vault More than 1,600 police carried out raids leading to the arrests. By Kate Brown, Nov 17, 2020
Law & Politics A Hedge-Fund Manager Whose Company Sold a Fake Frans Hals at Auction Is Appealing a Court Order to Return $6 Million to Sotheby’s A case linked to a high-profile Old Master forgery ring is back in court. By Sarah Cascone, Nov 16, 2020