PHOENIX.- Fine Art Registry™, (www.fineartregistry.com) the developer of a high tech solution that enables artists and collectors to permanently register and protect their art and other collectables is celebrating artist Jim Pallas for his innovative sculptures that have gained national attention. Just yesterday, Sun Microsystems agreed to purchase the life-size plywood sculpture of Bill Hewlett and David Packard that Pallas recently created as part of the art, technology and science festival called the “Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts ZeroOne Festival.”

The project, called "Hitchhikers in the Valley of Heart's Delight" included Hewlett and Packard as two of the founding fathers of Silicon Valley. They were destined to end up at the Corporate Headquarters of the company that bears their name. However, when they were delivered to the doorstep of HP Corporate they were turned away. That’s when Sun Microsystems stepped in and purchased the icons and put them back “on the street” until they can find a final home, hopefully at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. With this purchase, Pallas will electronically transfer ownership to Sun Microsystems using the Fine Art Registry system, thereby chronicling provenance for the sculptures for future owners.

The Hitchhiker sculptures were abandoned at specific spots around the country. Each piece relied on good Samaritans to pick them up and deliver them to their final destination in San Jose, California. Artist Jim Pallas, who has been working on his Hitchhikers projects for decades with sculptures of many different people, has previously "lost" sculptures, so he turned to Fine Art Registry where he tagged and registered each piece. Now, should the hitchhikers “disappear,” each sculpture will be reported on the Fine Art Registry Web site under “Stolen Art,” making it difficult for would-be thieves to sell the pieces for profit.

“Our goal at Fine Art Registry is to protect artists and art collectors by establishing a permanent record of the work from the moment it is created. Our artists know that their pieces are protected through our patented tags and registration system and collectors can rely on the fact that they are buying authentic works. Collectors can use our site to look for fine art or the works of particular artists and have confidence that the pieces they’ve chosen are not stolen, faked, or forged,” said Theresa Franks, Founder and CEO of Global Fine Art Registry, LLC. “We love working with artists like Jim Pallas who are contributing so much to the world of art and who appreciate the value in protecting their body of work."