The world of art fraud and fraudulent dealers touches everyone these days. Whether you are new to art collecting or have collected works of art in your family, as passed down through generations for centuries, you may have bought a fake artwork and not known it. Currently, there are many fraudulent works of art on the market, with the scammers and art frauds raking in money every time they succeed in passing off a fake or well-done copy as an original work of art. If you have been duped by a scammer related to someone selling fake or forged art to you, just call our law office immediately to review your claim for free.
What Is the Difference Between Art Determined to be “Fake,” “Forged,” or “Fraudulent”?
There are technical differences between the words “fake,” “forged,” and “fraudulent.” First of all, a fake piece of art is a copy of an art work, like a replica or an exact likeness of it. Let’s use an example of the Mona Lisa art work by artist Leonardo da Vinci. There is the original Mona Lisa by da Vinci. If someone takes a photo of the original Mona Lisa, puts it on a canvas and copies it, that is most likely a fake. On the other hand, if someone starts from scratch and paints an exact Mona Lisa with oil paints, even with the mistakes that are found on the original painting by da Vinci, and passes it off as the original Mona Lisa, that is most likely considered a forgery. A forgery in the art world is a work that is created specifically to fool other people, and is passed off as an original. Obviously, the person passing off a fake, fraudulent or forged piece of art as an original is getting top dollar for something worth pennies on the dollar in value.
What Is a Certificate of Authenticity and Why Does All Real Artwork Need One?
A certificate of authenticity or COA, is a certificate that will be partnered with every important work of art. It is a formal and legal document that follows a work of art, to guarantee the authenticity of the artwork. The COA will definitely confirm that a work of art is what it says it is, made by who it says made it and will describe the work of art in detail. The COA will tell how the work of art was created, the materials used, who created it, and it never expires. The COA is like having a title to a car. You would never be able to buy a car legally without the title to the vehicle. A car title tells the miles on the car, the make and model, year of the vehicle and names of the sellers and buyers when this information is filled in at the sale. A COA is similar to the car title, the COA never expires, and follows the work of art forever to authenticate it to any future buyers of the artwork. The COA is used to help prove that a work of art is not a forgery.
Why Would You Want a Certificate of Authenticity on a Work of Art Before Buying It?
The COA works to guarantee the artwork, and show that it is what it says it is, made by who it says made it. If you buy artwork that has a COA attached to authenticate the artwork at all levels, then it will have a higher value placed on the sale of that artwork, because it is guaranteed to be the real deal. If you want to resell an artwork with a COA, the next buyer will have a guarantee as to what it is and this keeps the value high on art bought and sold in the appraisal world and in the art world.
What Information Is Listed in a Certificate of Authenticity?
There is information that needs to be included in the certificate of authenticity or COA. This information relates directly to the artwork itself, and includes:
- An image of the work of art referred to in the COA
- Name of artist who made the artwork
- Title of the artwork
- Year made or completed
- Technique used to make the artwork
- Dimensions of the artwork
- Statement of authenticity for the artwork
- Statement if the artwork is a limited edition and edition number if so
- Tracking code to the artwork
- Signature and date
Any time that a work of art is missing the COA, it will raise more than eyebrows in the art world. Without a COA, there is no chain of authority for the artwork, and in some circles the art piece will be presumed fake first, authenticated later only with the proper paperwork. The certificate of authority can be issued by:
- The artist himself, themself or herself
- Art gallery
- Confirmed art dealer of the artist
- Confirmed agent of the artist
- Auctioneer
- Art dealer
- Art expert
- Art professional such as an art historian or art scholar
Of course artwork is bought and sold around the globe every day, without a certificate of authenticity. But when there are instances of fraud, it will be important to ensure that the COA is affixed to the artwork, to assuage any fears of the art piece being a fake, a forgery or fraudulent in any way. Call us now to talk to a lawyer with experience in fraudulent appraisals and gathering information to determine the proper appraisals for artwork. You need to talk to our legal team, and our attorneys today.
Zero Fee Guarantee
A zero-fee guarantee is waiting for you, when you give us a call today at the Normandie Law Firm. We will review your claim for free, and tell you the next steps to initiating a lawsuit against the at-fault parties, and get a successful resolution to this lawsuit and claim.
Free Second Opinion Case Review / Experienced Lawyers in Fraud Appraisals, Fraud Authentication, Art Dealer Fraud and Fraudulent Copyrighted Works of Art
You are automatically entitled to a free second opinion case review, from our experienced attorneys who specialize in fraudulent authentication and art dealer fraud. We also review fraudulent copyrighted works of art, and you can speak to a lawyer with a specialty in fraudulent artwork, when you call us today. Our legal team has lawyers who can help with your fraudulent artwork claim. Just call now to review your claim with our experienced attorneys in Los Angeles at the Normandie Law Firm at 800.790.5422.
Can I Sue for Fraud Appraisals, Fraud Authentication, Art Dealer Fraud and Fraudulent Copyrighted Works of Art?
Yes, we can sue for fraud appraisals, fraudulent authentication of artwork, art dealer fraud and copyrighted works of art. You can call us to review your claim for free, with our Los Angeles case lawyers, who can file a lawsuit on your behalf. Just call today to get access to our case attorneys in Los Angeles at the Normandie Law Firm at 800.790.5422.
Average Case Value of a Fraud Appraisals, Fraud Authentication, Art Dealer Fraud and Fraudulent Copyrighted Works of Art
The average case value of a fraudulent appraisal or authentication of a work of art, will depend on the value of the work of art itself. You can call our legal team, to speak to our attorneys who specialize in fraudulent appraisals and fraudulent cases with art dealers. You can call us to review your case for free, then we will be in a better position to appraise the value of your case. Depending on the value of the artwork, your claim can settle for $50,000 to over $5 million or more, based on the claim.
How Long Does It Take to Settle and to Get Paid on These Cases?
It can take 3-6 months to settle out an appraisal, and art dealer fraud case. There are many proofs and documents to get in hand, and this may take a while, but we are here for you and can help you in this regard to initiate a lawsuit for your art fraud claim.
Statute Of Limitations – How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
The statute of limitations in California for art forgery is three years, and the filing is within three years to file after the piece is noted to be a forgery or fake, not after the purchase took place. The statute of limitations in California for personal injury lawsuit filing is two years. The statute of limitations in California for harassment and discrimination lawsuit filing is one year, with a two year timeframe to file for wrongful termination.
Call for a Free Consultation
You can call us if you have been the victim of receiving an art forgery, fraudulent artwork or a fake art piece from someone else. We are here to talk to you about your situation, and get to the bottom of it for you, to review the case and bring a lawsuit against the at-fault parties. We can talk to you with a free consultation. Just call us today at the Normandie Law Firm at 800.790.5422.
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