The resale right grants artists a statutory right to participation in the resale of a work. This right is grounded in §26 UrhG. The idea of the resale right is based on the notion that visual artists are financially much more dependent on the sale of their work than creators of other types of art. However, such works are often sold at an early stage so that owners, gallery owners, and auction houses rather than the artists themselves profit from a later increase in value. The resale right grants the artist a percentage of the resale price (graded according to the purchase price) under certain conditions. This right can only be taken advantage of by involving a collecting society. Resales between individuals are not subject to the resale right.

Source: VG Bild-Kunst (only available in German), Wikipedia, edited