From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:36:09 -0400

DISTINGUISHED ART LAW DATABASE RE-LAUNCHES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW YORK, NY – March 21, 2013.  For years, the International
Foundation for Art Research (IFAR), publisher of the IFAR Journal, has
been building one of the world’s most comprehensive databases on laws
concerning the acquisition, authenticity, export, and ownership of art
and other cultural objects.  IFAR is now pleased to announce an
expansion of its Art Law & Cultural Property Database and its
re-launch online at www.ifar.org, with new features and a new pricing
structure.

Comprising U.S. case law as well as international legislation from
more than 100 countries, the IFAR Art Law & Cultural Property Database
is widely used by legal scholars, students, cultural-property lawyers,
law enforcement officials, museum curators and administrators, gallery
owners, journalists, and others involved in the collecting, sale,
exhibiting, insuring, and authentication of art and cultural objects.

The Database was initially launched online in 2008 with seed money
provided by a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum
and Library Services (IMLS), and several prestigious foundations. It
has been expanded, updated, and maintained as a free public service by
IFAR’s legal team, with the financial support of the Robert Sterling
Clark Foundation and others, as well as IFAR itself. (IFAR has no
endowment and relies on grants, membership support, and fees from its
publications and art research services.) In order to expand and
enhance the database and ensure that it remains a sustainable and
vital research tool, IFAR is moving to an annual subscription model,
with modest institutional and individual rates, as well as time-based
access options.

The IFAR Art Law & Cultural Property Database gathers in one place:

 * International cultural property legislation from more than 100
countries, including English translations and original texts and
current as well as historical legislation.

 * Summaries of U.S. case law (including out-of-court settlements as
well as litigated decisions) in IFAR’s fields of interest, including
World War II-related art loss; disputes over foreign antiquities; art
theft; ownership disputes; fraud, forgery, attribution, and
authenticity; and copyright, moral rights, and related issues.

 * International conventions and bilateral agreements.

 * Cultural property contact information for government officials worldwide.

 * A glossary of relevant legal terms; a section on U.S. statutes;
images of artworks cited in the legal cases; and useful links to other
resources.

 * Current standards and guidelines for museums, dealers,
archaeologists, and other arts professionals and organizations.

For the re-launch, new case studies and country summaries have been
added to the Database and functionality has been enhanced – users will
soon be able to link to the full texts of the legal decisions
associated with a case summary, and university subscribers will have
online tools to help them track usage and manage their subscriptions.

Sharon Cott, general counsel of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has
called the IFAR Database “invaluable – a major contribution to the
research tools in this field.” John H. Merryman, Sweitzer Professor of
Law and Affiliated Professor of Art Emeritus at Stanford University,
described the Database as an “unmatched digital resource for students,
attorneys, art professionals, and others interested in American and
international art and cultural property law.”

“We trust that the many loyal users of the Database will understand
our need to make this move,” said Dr. Sharon Flescher, the Executive
Director of IFAR and Editor-in-Chief of the IFAR Journal.  “It will
ensure that this important educational resource is financially
sustainable and available to a broad community for years to come.”

For pricing options, contact [log in to unmask] or visit the IFAR website:
www.ifar.org and click on the Art Law & Cultural Property link.

For more information, contact: Dr. Sharon Flescher, Executive
Director, IFAR, at 212-391-6234.

ABOUT IFAR:  The International Foundation for Art Research, based in
New York, is a not-for-profit educational and research organization
dedicated to integrity in the visual arts. Working at the intersection
of art scholarship, art law and the public interest, IFAR serves as an
impartial, authoritative body providing information on issues relating
to attribution and authenticity; art and cultural property law and
ethics; and art theft, looting and restitution.  Founded in 1969 to
research the attribution and authenticity of works of art, IFAR's
purview expanded in the 1970s when it created what became the first
database of stolen art accessible to the public. IFAR has earned a
reputation for objectivity, scholarship, and independence, and its
assistance is sought world-wide by law enforcement and government
agencies, collectors, educational institutions, researchers,
journalists, and the vast public interested in the visual arts. In
addition to publishing the award-winning IFAR Journal, IFAR organizes
conferences, panels, and lectures, and offers provenance research
services and a unique Art Authentication Research Service.  The Art
Law & Cultural Property Database is one of several new educational
resources on IFAR’s website.