BIOP alerts

A BIOP alert is a short, structured message that describes a work, the circumstances of its disappearance and the person to contact. It is sent to a network of qualified recipients, who can thus recognize the object if it is presented to them.

An alert never names a culprit. It informs; it does not judge: any legal action is for the competent national authorities, which the Organization merely supports.

Recipients are customs services, police units specialized in cultural property, accredited auction houses and institutional partners. Each receives the alerts that concern its field of action.

The general public may also subscribe. This voluntary choice widens vigilance, notably among collectors, gallery owners and restorers, who are often the first to see a doubtful object pass through.

Four categories are published: theft, loss, suspicious work and fake. The first two concern identified objects, reported by their owner or custodian. The other two concern objects encountered on the market.

This distinction helps recipients adapt their response: a theft alert calls for an immediate check, while a fake alert leads rather to vigilance regarding a family of objects.

The report is submitted through an online form or by the authorities. It is verified by the Protection Directorate, which checks the consistency of the documents and the absence of duplicates in the database. Processing takes twenty-four hours as a rule.

Once validated, the alert is published in the list of active alerts and sent by e-mail to the subscribers concerned. It then remains available in the archives.

The system relies on the accuracy of the information provided. A deliberately false report engages the responsibility of its author, and the Organization may withdraw an alert if the documents no longer justify it.

Reporting a theft or loss is free of charge. The Organization nevertheless recommends filing a complaint with the national authorities, which strengthens the value of the alert.