Lawyers offer lessons in legacy - Australia/Aboriginal/Art
Victoria Laurie; 14/3/08
When Albert Namatjira died in 1959, his descendants missed out on a share of the celebrated artist’s estate. In 1957, Namatjira had signed a copyright agreement with the owner of a publishing company, Legend Press. Two years later, Namatjira died and his estate was handed over to the Northern Territory’s public trustee, which in 1983 sold copyright in the works to Legend Press for $8500. It left Namatjira’s family unable to gain any benefits from the lucrative reproduction of the artist’s popular works over many years. With trade in contemporary Aboriginal art booming, and paintings that sell for many thousands of dollars, families may miss out on a financial legacy if artists die without leaving wills.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23370771-5013172,00.html