The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' policy on Oscar trophy resales

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) enforces a rule established in 1950 requiring winners to offer their Oscar trophies back to the Academy for one dollar before selling them to third parties. This regulation aims to maintain the prestige of the award and prevent its commercialization. While the current production cost of a statuette is approximately 570 Australian dollars, the market value for trophies awarded before 1951 remains significant. Notable pre-1950 sales include the 1939 Best Picture Oscar for Gone with the Wind, purchased by Michael Jackson for 1.54 million dollars in 1999. Auction house Christie's has recorded sales of four pre-1950 statues totaling 2.7 million dollars. The Academy strictly enforces this policy, as demonstrated by their 2014 lawsuit against the nephew of Joseph Wright, regarding a 1942 Art Direction award. These restrictions do not apply to trophies awarded prior to the 1950 policy implementation.