ABSTRACT
The nature of the clandestine or double market of which mention has been made forms the nucleus of the problem with regard to the return to the rightful owner of stolen materials. The thorny question of the reproduction of specific books, manuscripts, and archival materials, which may be considered a form of theft, is one with which this work shall not deal. The issue of stolen materials may be considered from a variety of points of view. The price set for a piece of material can depend upon the dealer’s knowledge of the material’s value or the seller’s ignorance of this value. The reality is then the ever-increasing movement of cultural property away from the materially poor but often culturally rich countries to those who possess the reverse characteristics. In the end, what is done with important materials has much to do with the ethical outlook of the person who has possession of them.
