Opinion ID: 204752
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: VARA's scope

Text: VARA amended the Copyright Act and provides a measure of protection for a limited set of moral rights falling under the rubric of rights of attribution and rights of integritybut only for artists who create specific types of visual art. 17 U.S.C. § 106A(a). The statutory coverage is limited to paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and photographs created for exhibition existing in a single copy or a limited edition of 200 or less. See id. § 101 (defining work of visual art). The rights conferred by the statute exist independently of property rights; the artist retains them even after he no longer holds title to his work. Id. § 106A(a). More specifically, VARA's attribution and integrity rights are as follows: (a) Rights of attribution and integrity. Subject to section 107 and independent of the exclusive rights provided in section 106, the author of a work of visual art  (1) shall have the right (A) to claim authorship of that work, and (B) to prevent the use of his or her name as the author of any work of visual art which he or she did not create; (2) shall have the right to prevent the use of his or her name as the author of the work of visual art in the event of distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation; and (3) subject to the limitations set forth in section 113(d), shall have the right  (A) to prevent any intentional distortion, mutilation, or other modification of that work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation, and any intentional distortion, mutilation, or modification of that work is a violation of that right, and (B) to prevent any destruction of a work of recognized stature, and any intentional or grossly negligent destruction of that work is a violation of that right. 17 U.S.C. § 106A(a) (emphasis added). At issue here is the right of integrity conferred by subsection (a)(3)(A), which precludes any intentional modification or distortion of a work of visual art that would be prejudicial to [the artist's] honor or reputation. A qualifying work of visual art is defined as: (1) a painting, drawing, print, or sculpture, existing in a single copy, in a limited edition of 200 or fewer that are signed and consecutively numbered by the author, or, in the case of a sculpture, in multiple cast, carved, or fabricated sculptures of 200 or fewer that are consecutively numbered by the author and bear the signature or other identifying mark of the author; or (2) a still photographic image produced for exhibition purposes only, existing in a single copy that is signed by the author, or in a limited edition of 200 copies or fewer that are signed and consecutively number by the author. Id. § 101 (emphasis added). This definition also contains a number of specific exclusions: e.g., posters, maps, and globes; books, newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals; motion picture[s] or other audiovisual work[s]; merchandising and promotional materials; any work made for hire; and any work not subject to copyright protection under this title. Id. This last exclusion simply reinforces the point that VARA supplements general copyright protection; to qualify for moral rights under VARA, a work must first satisfy basic copyright standards. Under the Copyright Act of 1976, copyright subsists in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated. Id. § 102(a). Works of authorship include pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works. Id. § 102(a)(5). VARA's definition of work of visual art is limited to a narrow subset of this broader universe of pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works that are otherwise eligible for copyright; only a select few categories of art get the extra protection provided by the moral-rights concept. 5 PATRY § 16:7 (2010) (Protected `works of visual art' is a narrower subcategory of `pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works,' protected in section 102(a)(5).). Several exceptions limit the scope of the rights granted under the statute: (c) Exceptions. (1) The modification of a work of visual art which is a result of the passage of time or the inherent nature of the materials is not a distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in subsection (a)(3)(A). (2) The modification of a work of visual art which is the result of conservation, or of the public presentation, including lighting and placement, of the work is not a destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in subsection (a)(3) unless the modification is caused by gross negligence. 17 U.S.C. § 106A(c) (emphasis added). The second of thesethe public presentation exceptionis at issue here. Another exception invoked by the Park District is found in a different section of the Copyright Act that defines the scope of a copyright owner's rights: (d)(1) In a case in which  (A) a work of visual art has been incorporated in or made part of a building in such a way that removing the work from the building will cause the destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work as described in section 106A(a)(3), and (B) the author consented to the installation of the work in the building either before the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, or in a written instrument executed on or after such effective date that is signed by the owner of the building and the author and that specifies that installation of the work may subject the work to destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification, by reason of its removal, then the rights conferred by paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 106A(a) shall not apply. Id. § 113 (emphasis added). This is known as the building exception. VARA rights cannot be transferred or assigned, but they can be waived in a writing signed by the artist and specifically identify[ing] the work, and uses of that work, to which the waiver applies. Id. § 106A(e)(1). Absent a written waiver, the artist retains VARA rights during his lifetime even if he transfers ownership of the work or assigns his copyright. [5] Id. § 106A(d)(1), (e)(2).