This guide is a starting point for finding Art Law resources in the SIA New York library. The navigation menu to the left will allow you to explore this guide. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list.
If you're short on time, these resources are your best bet for this topic:
Visual Arts and the Law by
This essential handbook offers art professionals and collectors an accessible legal analysis of important principles in art law, as well as a practical guide to legal rights when creating, buying, selling and collecting art in a global market. Although the book is international in scope, there is a particular focus on the US as a major art centre and the site of countless key international court cases. This authoritative but accessible and wide-ranging volume is essential reading for arts advisors, collectors, dealers, auction houses, museums, investors, artists, attorneys and students of art and law.
Mastering Art Law by
This introductory text provides an overview of many topics including the First Amendment, publicity and privacy rights, intellectual property, taxes, authenticity and title, museum law, trade, historic preservation, and more.
Art Law in a Nutshell by
Art Law in a Nutshell overviews art as an investment, from copyrights to trademarks, and examines issues involving museums and collecting. Subjects covered include the customs definition, international art movement, and the victim of war. Explores auctions; authentication; insurance; and tax problems for collectors, dealers, and artists. Also addresses the working artist, aid to the arts, moral and economic rights, and freedom of expression.
Selected examples of subject search terms to use in Summon or in the library catalog. Terms can all be modified by place names, e.g., Art--Collectors and collecting--United States.
| Antiquities -- Collection and preservation -- Moral and ethical aspects | Artists' Contracts -- United States |
| Appropriation (Art) | Art objects -- Valuation -- United States |
| Archaeological thefts | Auctions |
| Archaeology--Moral and ethical aspects | Censorship |
| Architects--Legal status, laws, etc. | Copyright -- Art -- United States |
| Art -- Collectors and Collecting | Copyright -- Art -- United States -- Cases. |
| Art -- Expertising | Cultural Property -- Protection |
| Art -- Forgeries. | Cultural Property--Protection--International Law |
| Art -- Moral and ethical aspects. | Fair Use (Copyright) |
| Art dealers -- Legal status, laws, etc. | Law and art -- United States -- Cases |
| Art insurance -- Congresses. | Museums -- Law and legislation |
| Architects -- Legal status, laws, etc. | Public art -- Law and legislation -- United States. |
| Artists -- Legal status, laws, etc. | Theater -- Law and Legislation |
| Artists' contracts | Video recordings -- Fair Use (Copyright) |
Keywords can describe the type of material you are searching for. Terms can all be modified by type when conducting a subject search, e.g., Copyright -- United States -- Cases.
You can conduction subject searches in library catalogs, Worldcat and in Summon's Advanced Search, e.g., Copyright -- United States -- Cases.
| Administrative decisions | Law for laypersons |
| Administrative regulations | Law reviews |
| Attorneys general's opinions | Legal forms |
| Bar journals | Legal instruments |
| Casebooks | Legal maxims |
| Citators | Legislative histories |
| Claims | Legislative materials |
| Codes (Jewish law) | Loose-leaf services |
| Codices (Law) | Military regulations |
| Concordats | Model acts |
| Consilia | Official gazettes |
| Constitutional convention materials | Orders in council |
| Constitutions | Privileges and immunities |
| Court decisions and opinions | Proclamations |
| Court rules | Records and briefs |
| Courtroom art | Repertories (Law) |
| Customary laws | Resolutions (Law) |
| Dockets | Responsa (Jewish law) |
| Executive orders | Restatements of the law |
| Hornbooks (Law) | Statutes and codes |
| Indulgences (Canon law) | Town laws, Medieval |
| Intergovernmental agreements | Travaux préparatoires (Treaties) |
| Judicial statistics | Treaties |
| Jury instructions | Trial and arbitral proceedings |
| Law commentaries | Uniform laws |
| Law digests | Year books (English law reports) |
Browse the KF section of the library for art and law. Selected specific subjects by call number are listed on the following tabs. These are browseable in any library that uses the Library of Congress Classification System.
Other relevant call number ranges:
Art Law by Subject -- Classification
Antiquities, Collection and preservation -- CC135 (27)
Antiquities, Collection and preservation, Moral and ethical aspects DF275-277
Appropriation (Art) -- KF4987.A67
Archaeology -- CC65 -175
Architects--Legal status, laws, etc. -- KF2925.3; NA150.C9
Art, Collectors and collecting in United States -- N5215
Art, Collectors and collecting, Case studies -- N8383
Art, Collectors and Collecting -- N5200
Art, Expertising -- N8558
Art, Expertising, Congresses -- N8558
Art, Forgeries -- N8790
Art, Forgeries, Economic aspects -- N7113.D3
Art, Forgeries, Handbooks, manuals, etc -- N8790
Art, Moral and ethical aspects -- N72.E8
Art and state, United States -- KF27
Art insurance -- HG9970.F5
Art objects, Valuation, United States -- KF27
Art, Protection -- N463; N8750
Art, Reproduction -- N8580
Art thefts -- N8795
Artists, Legal status, laws, etc., United States -- KF390.A7
Artists, Legal status, laws, etc., Canada -- KE3968
Artists, Legal status, laws, etc., Germany -- KK3288.A76
Artists' contracts,United States -- KF4290; KF390.A7
Artists' contracts, United States, Popular works -- KF2932.Z9
Auctions HF5476
Buildings, War damage, In art -- N8257
Art Law by Subject -- Classification
Censorship -- Z657; Z659; K4285
Collectors and collecting -- NK1125
Copyright -- K1420.5
Copyright, Art -- K1460; K1461
Copyright, Art, United States -- KF3050; KF27; KF26
Copyright, Photographs -- K1472
Copyright and electronic data processing -- K1447.15 - K1420.5
Cultural property, Protection -- CC135; N8750
Cultural property,Protection (International law) -- K3791
Fair use (Copyright) -- K1420.5 - K1447.15; K1485 (2)
Federal aid to the arts,United States -- NX735; KF27
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), Reparations -- D804.3 - D819
Art Law by Subject -- Classification
Intellectual property -- K7550-7582
Law and art -- K3778
Museums, Law and legislation -- K3788
Museums -- AM
Performance art, History -- NX512.A54
Photocopying, Fair use (Copyright) -- K1447.15
Public domain (Copyright law) -- K1401
Restitution -- K920; K5534
Theater, Law and legislation, United States -- KF1377; KF4296
Video recordings,Fair use (Copyright),United States -- KF26-27; KF3030.4
World War, 1939-1945--Claims -- JX5326; KK7642; D819.G3 - D819.G85
World War, 1939-1945, Destruction and pillage --D810.D6
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