CHAPTER 737c
ART PRESERVATION AND ARTISTS' RIGHTS

      Sec. 42-116s. Definitions. As used in this section and section 42-116t:

      (1) "Artist" means the individual who creates a work of fine art.

      (2) "Work of fine art" means any drawing; painting; sculpture; mosaic; photograph; work of calligraphy; work of graphic art, including any etching, lithograph, offset print, silkscreen or other work of graphic art; craft work in clay, textile, fiber, metal, plastic or other material; art work in mixed media, including any collage, assemblage or other work combining any of the artistic media named in this definition, or combining any of said media with other media; or a master from which copies of an artistic work can be made, such as a mold or a photographic negative, with a market value of at least two thousand five hundred dollars; provided work of fine art shall not include (A) commissioned work prepared under contract for trade or advertising usage, provided the artist, prior to creating the work, has signed an agreement stating that said work shall be a commissioned work which may be altered without consent; (B) work prepared by an employee within the scope of his employment duties.

      (3) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association or other group, however organized.

      (P.A. 88-284, S. 1; P.A. 95-79, S. 158, 189.)

      History: P.A. 95-79 redefined "person" to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995.

      Sec. 42-116t. Alteration of work of fine art prohibited. Rights of artist. Enforcement. Waiver of rights. Statute of limitations re liability. (a) No person, except an artist who owns and possesses a work of fine art which the artist has created, shall intentionally commit, or authorize the intentional commission of, any physical defacement or alteration of a work of fine art.

      (b) The artist shall retain at all times the right to claim authorship.

      (c) To effectuate the rights created by section 42-116s and this section, the artist may commence an action to recover or obtain any of the following: (1) Injunctive relief, (2) actual damages, (3) reasonable attorney's and expert witness fees, and (4) any other relief which the court deems proper.

      (d) The rights and duties created under section 42-116s and this section: (1) Shall, with respect to the artist, or if any artist is deceased, his heir, legatee or designated personal representative, exist until the fiftieth anniversary of the death of such artist, (2) shall exist in addition to any other rights and duties which may be applicable on or after October 1, 1988, and (3) except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, may not be waived except by an instrument in writing expressly so providing which is signed by the artist.

      (e) If a work of fine art cannot be removed from a building without substantial physical defacement or alteration of such work, the rights and duties created under this section, unless expressly reserved by an instrument in writing signed by the owner of such building executed and witnessed in the same manner provided for deeds in section 47-5 and properly recorded, shall be deemed waived. Such instrument, if properly recorded, shall be binding on subsequent owners of such building.

      (f) No action may be maintained to enforce any liability under section 42-116s and this section unless brought within three years of the act complained of or one year after discovery of such act, whichever is longer, except that no action may be brought more than ten years from the date of the act complained of.

      (g) The provisions of section 42-116s and this section shall apply to works of art created on or after October 1, 1988.

      (P.A. 88-284, S. 2-8; P.A. 05-288, S. 144.)

      History: P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective July 13, 2005.

      Secs. 42-116u to 42-116z. Reserved for future use.