International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR)

International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) will employ the technology of the Web to grant immediate, user-directed access to the information IFAR has amassed during its 35-year history concerning the ethics and legality of the ownership of works of art. The following are three major components of the project: (1) Summary Case Law--examples of disputes yet to be litigated, as well as disputes settled without litigation; (2) Cultural Property Contact List--names and addresses of the representatives of governments around the world (102 countries) to whom an inquiry regarding the legality of purchasing of a cultural object can be made; and (3) International Regulations Concerning the Export and Ownership of Cultural Property-an updated handbook based on the 1988 UNESCO handbook. The centralization of IFAR resources will help to establish best practices for the museum field.