Modeling Malaysian Visual Artists’ Readiness for The Artist Resale Right (ARR): A Conceptual Framework

The Artist Resale Right (ARR) aims to ensure that visual artists receive equitable compensation from the resale of their artworks in secondary markets. While widely implemented across more than 100 countries, Malaysia has yet to introduce a similar policy, leaving local artists excluded from the economic benefits of increasing artwork value over time. This article proposes a conceptual framework to model Malaysian visual artists’ readiness for ARR implementation, grounded in four established theories: Situation Awareness Theory, Social Capital Theory, Theory of Practice, and Institutional Theory. The framework identifies three key antecedents—experience with ARR, perception of ARR, and professional engagement—as predictors of artists’ comprehension and projection regarding ARR implementation. It also introduces institutional trust as a moderating factor. As one of the first scholarly attempts to structure ARR policy readiness in Malaysia, the framework offers theoretical depth and practical insights for researchers, policymakers, and cultural institutions. The study emphasizes the importance of artist-centered perspectives in shaping equitable intellectual property reform within the country’s creative economy.