I would be surprised if there were a precedence. While sculptures are bought and sold daily, rights--especially moral rights when applicable--are retained by the artist.
Transfer of rights can be done, however. It's simply a written contract signed by the rightsholder.
No; the creator retains the copyright unless other arrangements are made.
The original sculpture and all variants are protected by copyright.
If you are creating original things--music, sculpture, poetry, photographs--your work is automatically protected by copyright as soon as it is fixed in a tangible medium.
Copyright law protects original creative works, such as sculpture, music, and books. Patent law protects inventions and processes, such as pharmaceuticals, machines, and hybrid plants.
The best way is to place an imprint of your signature on the statue, indicating that you are the one who made it. Also, go to U.S. Imprinting Office in order to officially make your sculpture copyrighted.
"an object that has a meaning" is rather a curious turn of phrase. If you mean a sculpture, an object with a symbolic meaning, it would be protected by copyright as soon as it is fixed in a tangible medium. A patent would be more appropriate for a new type of object with a useful function.
Don't worry. It is not for sale and never will be. So there can be no price.
The moment an artist creates a piece of work, be it music, lyrics, painting, sculpture, books, photographs.
A particular inuksuk could be protected as a sculpture, but inuksuit as a type of sculpture would not be owned by anyone. It would be like saying I own watercolor or guitar music.
A physical object can either contain a copy of a creative work (e.g., a CD or DVD is a physical object with works recorded on them), or the physical work may, itself, be subject of copyright in its design (such as sculpture, architecture).
Copyright law wouldn't apply to a skin care product, as it is not a creative work.
Yes, unauthorized copying, sale, display, or performance of a work constitutes copyright infringement. Copyright law protects the rights of creators to control how their works are used, and any unauthorized use undermines those rights. Such actions can lead to legal consequences for the infringer, including potential damages to the copyright holder.