WBNUJS to offer 3-credit course on Art Law starting September 6

West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata is offering a three-credit course titled Introduction to Art Law with Debottam Bose as the course instructor.

The course aims to introduce students to the growing field of Art Law, which intersects with issues of cultural heritage, intellectual property, contract law and criminal law. It will cover topics such as authenticity and provenance of artworks, art theft, forgery, illicit trafficking, art market regulation and dispute resolution in art-related conflicts.

Course outline

• What is Art Law?

• Fakes and forgeries

• Art disputes and ADR

• Art and cultural heritage law

• Field trip to art galleries

• Art transactions

Course outcomes

Students will

• Understand the scope and multidisciplinary significance of Art Law in regulating, protecting and preserving artworks.

• Analyze landmark case studies and international frameworks such as the 1970 UNESCO and the 1995 UNIDROIT Conventions.

• Examine the role of mediation and negotiation in resolving art-related disputes.

• Explore the legal responsibilities of collectors, museums, auction houses, galleries and artists under art laws.

• Evaluate legal mechanisms governing art transactions, including contracts, title disputes and cross-border due diligence.

• Apply legal principles to restitution, repatriation and ownership conflicts involving looted or stolen art.

Course Duration

The course will run for a total of 40 hours, comprising 30 hours of classroom teaching and a 10-hour field trip to art galleries.

Course Eligibility

The course is open to students from 4th or 5th year of a 5-year LL.B. programme to apply.

Only 30 participants will be accepted based on a first-come, first-served basis.

Evaluation

1. Case study - 30 marks

2. Class interaction - 30 marks

3. Mediation - 40 marks