A Canadian question.

When a museum receives a donation of a numbered print (eg. 5/100) that the
donor has previously purchased from  a shop does the receiving museum have
to seek out the artist to negotiate copyright or is the fact that the
copyright act exists, and therefore is law, sufficient?     To date, I have
tried (not always successfully) to find the artist but when I cannot the
work is left in limbo....now I'm wondering whether this is necessary.
There seems to be this grey mist surrounding objects produced in multiples
and sold through commercial outlets.
Can anybody help.   I realize that Canadian copyright is not of interest to
everybody so please supply off list.

Thanks



ps/  Obviously, whenever I have commissioned single works from an artist the
process includes a Statement of Agreement that clearly states the copyright
conditions etc.       It's multiples that confuse me

Carol E. Mayer, Ph.D/
Senior Curator
Ethnology/ceramics.
Museum of Anthropology
University of British Columbia
6393 North West Marine Drive
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2
phone: 604-822-8224
fax: 604-822-2974

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