Code of ethics

Integrity: sell only works whose lawfulness has been checked. Transparency: inform the buyer of what is known about the work, its condition and its restorations. Authenticity: present as authentic only what one has serious reason to believe so. Provenance: consult the BIOP database and keep supporting documents.

Loyalty: respect one's commitments to artists, colleagues and clients. Confidentiality: protect the identity of buyers and sellers. Prudence: refuse suspicious transactions. Compliance: respect tax and customs legislation. Cooperation: cooperate with the authorities and OIMAP. Training: maintain one's knowledge.

The code applies first by example: the Secretariat publishes anonymised cases and practical guides. It then applies through mediation: any dispute between a client and a professional may be submitted to an independent mediator.

As a last resort, an ethics commission may impose sanctions: warning, suspension, striking off. Its decisions are published, with the possibility of appeal to the Arbitral Tribunal.

Three principles directly concern artists: loyalty (respecting representation contracts), transparency (communicating prices and sales) and prudence (not selling at a throwaway price). Artists may bring a matter before the commission in case of breach.

The commission thus sanctioned in 2024 three galleries that had sold artists' works without paying them the agreed share. These decisions, rare but public, remind us that ethics also protect creators.