I think it should be "Finders Keepers"

[Mr.X]

Remember that part about finding a compromise? The word should suggests some kind of payoff to get rid of the lawsuit. BTW - if you're interested in stocks Odyssey Marine is a publicly traded company. OMEX

BBC NEWS | Europe | Spain claims shipwreck treasure

 

[Bottomfeeder Brodie]

I would take the spanish "plunder" and melt it down!

 

[Wookie]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110106/ap_on_re_us/us_shipwreck_treasure_wikileaks– Wed Jan 5, 7:10 pm ET

TAMPA, Fla. – Deep-sea explorers in Florida are using some of the trove of recently leaked WikiLeaks documents to try to force the U.S. government out of their legal battle with Spain over a shipwreck treasure.

Odyssey Marine Exploration of Tampa says documents released by Wikileaks show the U.S. State Department had offered to help Spain's side in the matter in exchange for help in returning a multimillion-dollar painting — seized by World War II-era Nazis — to a U.S. citizen.

Odyssey said Wednesday it filed a motion urging an appeals court to throw out a "friend of the court" brief by the U.S. government supporting Spain's bid for 17 tons of coins raised from a sunken Spanish galleon off Portugal in 2007.

A federal court ruled for Spain in 2009. Odyssey is appealing.

The State Department had no immediate comment when contacted Wednesday by The Associated Press.

 

[The Chairman]

Very interesting, Frank.

 

[Jaeger45]

Not in regard to this specific wreck, but....

How does one determine if there is a legitimate historic/archaeologic interest vs. solely a salvage interest?

If archaeologic evaluation, documentation, and preservation (when possible) is an interest, how do you encourage individuals to seek out and find sites and preserve the rights of salvage?

How do you protect archaeologic interests, in general, in such a way that salvage is not forced into black market channels?

I don't think the interests of historians are preserved if salvars are so afraid of the state that they melt down their finds and take their secrets to the grave.

+1 to comments re: stolen property of native americans.

 

[The Chairman]

Suits like this will have a super chilling effect on marine archeology. Who wants to identify the wreck if it's going to be taken from them? I imagine that some artifacts will be hidden and/or lost permanently in order to safe guard a ship's identity. I do believe that there should be some statute of limitations for these kinds of claims. Past 100 years, it should be "finders keepers". I imagine that if this kind of rule were to be implemented, quite a number of these nameless wrecks would find themselves will bells and anchors that have their names on them.

​

 

[DennisS]

It wasn't too long ago that if a person found a galleon in Florida they could lay claim to it. If someone found one today and let the state know about it, they would probably be prohibited from diving on it. I think the Jupiter Inlet wreck was the last one before new laws were put into effect.

 

[The Chairman]

You can not collect an artifact over 50 years old in Florida State Waters. Wookie, that doesn't mean you can abandon my butt at sea! :mooner:

 

[Hallmac]

You can not collect an artifact over 50 years old in Florida State Waters. Wookie, that doesn't mean you can abandon my butt at sea! :mooner:

 

[Wookie]

Luckily, we spend very little of our time in State waters. I won't check your pockets Pete.