Fine Art Registry Patented System Revolutionizes Art Provenance, Authenticity and Deters Art Crime

(Vocus) February 20, 2008 -- Fine Art Registry (FAR) is today's only high tech solution to the age old problems that have existed in the art world since before the Ancient Greeks: How to establish provenance, prove authenticity and ownership, prevent forgery and fakery, deter theft and, basically, make it possible to create, buy, sell or collect works of art with the security of knowing that they are what they claim to be.

At the core of Fine Art Registry is a system which combines

1) a high tech, one-of-a-kind, patented seal or tag for works of art and collectibles which helps identify them, establish authenticity and prevent fraud and theft.

2) a secure, remote web site where artists can permanently register their art when they create it and where collectors, museums and galleries can register their entire collections.

The interactive web site was designed utilizing state-of-the-art security technologies and a customized database apparatus to record, identify, track, and manage fine art and valuables from the instant they are created or registered.

The Fine Art Registry system provides each registered art or collectible object with several unique and permanent identifiers, the use of which can work to positively impact and transform the domestic and international art trade.

This provides

1) a means of establishing provenance and ownership of art pieces from here on out, invaluable to artists, collectors, museums, galleries, insurance companies and police forces

2) a system which is, to works of art or any valuable collectible, what the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) system is to cars or ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is to books. It enables artists and owners to positively and uniquely identify a piece of art.

FAR includes

1) an online gallery for artists where they can display and sell their art, with the advantage over other online galleries that buyers will know they are getting the real thing

2) an online location for collectors and other art buyers to buy art with the security of knowing that they are investing in a permanently registered and recorded art object

3) a central location to report stolen or lost art and to help with its recovery

4) secure, electronic transfer of ownership of art pieces so that there is a permanent record of new ownership, invaluable for tracing art pieces, establishing authenticity, for insurance purposes and so on

5) customizable online certificates of authenticity for artists to use and print right from their computer

6) a general resource for artists and art lovers where they can learn more and where they can find resources to help them in their invaluable work.

How FAR Works:

1) An artist, collector, gallery or museum decides to make a permanent record of a work of art or of a whole collection of artwork, cultural objects, collectibles, etc.

2) They become a member of Fine Art Registry (individual or commercial/organizational memberships are available)

3) A supply of the high tech FAR seals is ordered from the FAR website (each tag is unique and is assigned to an individual or organization and recorded in two separate, secure databases)

4) The tags are applied to the pieces, and each piece is registered on the FAR web site with a description and photographs (including all the information specified in the Object-ID Checklist) so there is a permanent record in our database with all relevant information

5) The image and description of the piece appears in an online portfolio on the FAR website

6) When a registered piece or item is bought, sold, donated or otherwise changes hands, an electronic transfer of ownership is initiated on the FAR web site so that the transfer is a matter of official record. An image of the piece is transferred to the new owner's portfolio

7) Insurance claims can be made and dealt with in the certainty that the piece of art actually existed and was owned by the person or entity making the claim

8) If a work of art is lost or stolen it can instantly be designated as such on the FAR web site, making it easier for it to be recovered

9) A collector, gallery or museum acquiring a piece of art can consult the Fine Art Registry website to help ensure that the piece is not stolen or forged

10) 50, 100 or 500 years from now, the provenance of a work of art can be verified on the FAR website and its history traced.

"We are to reduce art crime including theft of valuable pieces, enormous abuses in the multiples market, as well as insurance fraud, forgery and so on," said Theresa Franks, Founder and CEO of Fine Art Registry. "The system has been made very affordable (annual membership currently under $10 and each tag only $2.25) so that it can be used universally. Our hope is that with this system in full and widespread use, the art world will be more orderly and secure so that artists and collectors and all those involved are free to create and enjoy art."

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