eBay partners with British Museum and Museums, Libraries and
Archives Council to protect British treasures
The British Museum and the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA) have partnered with eBay.co.uk to ensure that
antiquities found in the UK are being sold legally on its site.
In order to prevent illegal sales of treasure, the Portable
Antiquities Scheme (PAS, which is managed by the British Museum on
behalf of the MLA ) has set up a team to monitor antiquities sold
on eBay.co.uk and to ensure that sellers have the right to trade
them. Where the listing is illegal, PAS will report it to the
Art and Antiques Unit of the Metropolitan Police and eBay.co.uk,
which has committed to end illegal listings.The commitment is the
latest development in eBay’s on-going work with national law
enforcement agencies.
eBay.co.uk is the first website to reach an agreement with the
British Museum and the MLA banning the illegal sale of treasure
over its trading platform,
English, Welsh and Northern Irish archaeological finds which
constitute ‘treasure’ must be reported to the relevant authorities
under the Treasure Act. Failing to report a find of treasure is a
criminal offence.
In many cases, sellers innocently trade items on the web,
unaware that finds need to be reported under the provisions of the
Treasure Act. eBay has therefore also worked with the British
Museum and PAS to create a guide to buying and selling antiquities
safely on its site with advice about reporting obligations.
The guide is to be found at http://pages.ebay.co.uk/buy/guides/antiquities
Dr Roger Bland, head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the
British Museum said: “We welcome eBay’s assistance in helping stop
the illegal sale of antiquities on the internet with this
partnership. Our experience is that most people who buy and
sell UK archaeological finds do so without being aware that they
may be breaking the law if items have not been reported. We
have therefore worked with eBay to ensure that its users are aware
of its obligations through our guide. We will also be
contacting sellers to ensure that they have reported items and have
appropriate documentation.”
Chris Batt, MLA Chief Executive added: “For those who are
selling items illegally, this partnership means we have in place a
process to stop listings and take action against the individuals
concerned. Doing so is vital because such activity is not
only illegal but could also damage the archaeological record as,
without effective reporting, valuable insights into our past could
be lost forever.”
David Lammy, Culture Minister comments “eBay is one of this
decade’s greatest success stories. A truly global
phenomenon. But like us, they recognise that the expanding
internet trade in art, antiquities and antiques has potential for
abuse, and it is important that steps are taken to ensure that it
does not unwittingly become a cover for criminality. I commend eBay
for taking such a responsible stance.”
Garreth Griffith, head of Trust and Safety at eBay.co.uk,
comments: “Educating our customers on what to look out for when
buying antiquities on eBay and informing sellers of their
obligations is of paramount importance. Giving our customers
the knowledge and engaging that knowledge to help with our
investigations work means we have 15 million pairs of eyes and ears
out there working with us on a day-to-day basis.
“Working with British Museum and PAS and harnessing the strength
of our community of buyers and sellers means we have an extensive
network to ensure that antiquities are sold legitimately. It
is also an excellent example of the way that eBay can work with law
enforcement to track people seeking the break the law and bring
them to account.”
DS Vernon Rapley, head of the Met Police Art &
Antiques unit said:
"This is a really good example of the art market and those
concerned in the preservation of antiquities working together
to help prevent and detect cultural property crimes. We
are fully supportive of the initiative and hope that it has a real
impact on preventing illicit sales."
For interviews with spokespeople
eBay.co.uk: To interview eBay’s head of Trust & Safety,
Garreth Griffith, please contact the eBay press office team at
Seventy Seven PR on 020 7492 0999 or email at ebay@77pr.com
PAS: To interview Dr Roger Bland, head of Portable Antiquities
and Treasure at the British Museum or for further information
regarding PAS, please contact Hannah Boulton at the British Museum
press office on 020 7323 8522 / 07748 162657 or hboulton@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
MLA: To interview MLA Chief Executive Chris Batt please contact
Sherene Chatfield at MLA on 07726 891176
Notes to editors
- All finders of gold and silver objects, and
groups of coins from the same finds, over 300 years old, have a
legal obligation to report such items under the Treasure Act 1996.
Prehistoric base-metal assemblages found after 1st January 2003
also qualify as Treasure. Treasure finds must be reported by law to
the local coroner, which is normally done through the finders local
PAS Finds Liaison Officer. More information is available on
http://www.culture.gov.uk/ or
http://www.finds.org.uk/
- Comprehensive advice on what to look out for
when buying or selling archaeological material is available on the
PAS website www.finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/
The site advises asking five key questions before proceeding to
ensure the object can be bought or sold legally:
- 1. Have
you legal title to sell?
- 2. Where
was the object found?
- 3. When
was the object found?
- 4. Was
there a legal obligation to report the find?
- 5. Has
the object been recorded?
About eBay
Founded in 1995, eBay pioneers communities built on commerce,
sustained by trust, and inspired by opportunity. eBay enables
ecommerce on a local, national and international basis with an
array of websites – including the eBay Marketplace, PayPal, Skype,
Kijiji, Rent.com, Shopping.com – that bring together millions of
buyers and sellers every day.
· eBay.co.uk hit
the 15 million users milestone in May 2006.
· eBay.co.uk has
achieved the ten million live listings landmark, meaning there are
more than ten million items for sale on the site at any one
time*
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