Intellectual property and copyright

ARTIST ROOMS offers useful ways of conducting law-related research in relation to specific artworks and the practices of particular artists.

Dr Smita Kheria, School of Law, University of Edinburgh

Researchers with interests here - particularly working in the University of Edinburgh School of Law and the  SCRIPT and CREATe research centres - will invite discussion on the implications of changes in copyright law and how these affect works in the ARTIST ROOMS collection.

Subjects under investigation will include the relationships between artists, artists’ estates, dealers and museums as guardians and creators of intellectual property and value, both in terms of specific historical situations and in the light of current legislative issues around the open access movement, open licensing and the rise of corporate image banks. Despite being a sensitive and sometimes very challenging area, research in this area could have a positive impact on regulation and practice in the cultural sector.

Once completed, the research will be available to the museums in the form of policy papers, in addition to publication as appropriate in museum online forums for wider dissemination.