DACS and Resale Royalties Aotearoa Toi Huarau (RRA) are delighted to announce the signing of a reciprocal agreement, marking a significant step forward for artists on both sides of the globe and ensuring that creators are compensated when their works are resold internationally.
The agreement establishes reciprocal arrangements between the two collecting societies in the UK and New Zealand, meaning that artists and estates who join either DACS or RRA are automatically represented by the other in the partner country.
DACS will collect royalties arising from qualifying UK sales for rightsholders RRA represents, and vice versa, making it easier for artists and estates to manage their resale right across the UK and New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Artist’s Resale Royalty scheme officially launched on 1 December 2024, establishing an important new layer of protection and recognition for its artists. Thanks to the reciprocal arrangement between the UK and New Zealand, UK artists are eligible to receive resale royalties when their works are sold in New Zealand, just as New Zealand artists can receive royalties from sales of their works in the UK.
This development reflects the growing international momentum behind the Artist’s Resale Right, a right designed to ensure artists share in the value their work has on the secondary market.
RRA is proud to announce its first royalty payments
RRA, the organisation administering New Zealand’s Artist’s Resale Right, is a not-for-profit and was appointed by the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage as the collection agency for the purposes of the Act.
RRA is proud to announce that since the scheme’s commencement five months ago it has generated a landmark $150K of Artist Resales Royalties for distribution to artists & successors in Aotearoa, providing vital support and sustainability for artist’s careers, and bringing New Zealand in line with international standards.
RRA has successfully concluded a reciprocal arrangement with Australia also, with the Netherlands, France, and additional international markets to follow.
DACS, which has long championed ARR in the UK and its international implementation, distributing more than £130 million in royalties to thousands of artists and estates since 2006, welcomes the expansion of this right to New Zealand. This partnership follows the successful reciprocal arrangements already in place with Australia and EEA countries and comes as the global landscape for ARR continues to evolve, with South Korea preparing for its own implementation in 2027 and Canada actively exploring its adoption.
Christian Zimmermann, Chief Executive of DACS, said:
“We are delighted to enter into this reciprocal agreement with RRA, which represents an important step in our shared commitment to supporting artists’ rights internationally.
As New Zealand’s Artist’s Resale Right scheme gains momentum, we look forward to working closely with RRA to ensure that artists and estates in both countries are remunerated when their works are resold.
This partnership highlights the growing international support for the resale right and reaffirms our support for fair and equitable treatment of artists worldwide.”
Sam Irvine, Chief Executive of Resale Royalties Toi Huarau (RRA) said:
“RRA has built and launched a successful resale royalty scheme quickly in Aotearoa NZ.
We are very pleased to sign this agreement with DACS, not only as a part of NZ’s partnership with the UK under the UK/NZ FTA, but as part of our shared commitment to working with international partners to ensure UK & NZ visual artists are represented and remunerated for resales of their work worldwide”.
This agreement between DACS and RRA underscores the power of international cooperation in creating a fairer and more sustainable art market, one where artists are recognised and rewarded for their creative contributions, no matter where their work travels.
You can read the joint statement on the DACS website here:
DACS and RRA celebrate signing of reciprocal agreement – DACS