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.