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Just move it all to Sealand and live in peace. I think with google's backing Sealand could expand a little.

Is it possible to host a datacentre out at sea?

To listen to them talk, Sealand's HavenCo is already there and what you're looking for.

Is it possible to host a datacentre out at sea?

Yes. See http://www.sealandgov.com/ and http://www.havenco.com/

"Is it possible to host a datacentre out at sea?"
Sure. Take a look at Sealand

I know of no such country; but if anybody really wants to set up an Independent Sovereign State, then they could pass such a law.

There's always Sealand.

I haven't heard much about them recently, and their web site hasn't changed in a while. Wonder what they're up to.

How about this one

http://www.sealandgov.com/

Know anyone who owns an island or a small country and is willing to donate the domain name? What would MPAA or RIAA do? They can't invade a country.

Try Sealand.. http://www.sealandgov.com/ Its not under UK law so it would be hard for the RIAssA to touch you.

I propose we all check out the principality of Sealand. Hell, you can even get a Lordship for ~£80. We can all thank the sovereign Prince Roy for his hospitality :-)

http://www.sealandgov.com/

The Principality was founded on unclaimed "land" (in the loosest sense of the term). This was legal under international law of the time (it no longer is so under the Treaty of the Sea, adopted by the UN). As nutty as the concept might seem, the claim would appear to be valid http://www.sealandgov.com/

Your own city? I have my own country, now THIS is being a real geek!

I often wonder why the intelligentsia do not form their own nation. I'm sure that getting together enough people who're all on the same page could lead to a stable economy in an "openly governed" nation which you mention our present lack of.

I have an old copy of Mechanix Illustrated (circa mid 1950s) that on the front mentions an all-concrete sailboat constructable for $600. I have no idea what it would cost in modern dollars to construct such a thing, but why stop at a sailboat? Here in my home state of Washington we have a couple of floating bridges which are so buoyant that they must be anchored to the bottom of Lake Washington. So if a bridge can be constructed, why not an artificial island?

It's already been done. The Principality of Sealand was founded in 1967 in international waters off the coast of Britain on what was used as a gunnery platform during WWII to shoot down german aircraft. After the war all but this one platform (known as Roughs Tower) was decomissioned and dismantled. So in 1967, a fellow went out there and claimed the platform and declared its sovereignity. In 1968 the British court upheld that Sealand is indeed its own nation as it lies outside what was then British territorial waters.

Heck, Sealand's sovereignity was recognized by Germany when Sealand went to war (from the website's "history" page):
In August of 1978, a number of Dutch men came to Sealand in the employ of a German businessman. They were there to discuss business dealings with Sealand. While Roy was away in Britain, these men kidnapped Prince Roy's son Michael, and took Sealand by force. Soon after, Roy recaptured the island with a group of his own men and held the attackers as prisoners of war.

During the time that he held the prisoners, the Governments of the Netherlands and Germany petitioned for their release. First they asked England to intervene in the matter, but the British government cited their earlier court decision as evidence that they made no claim to the territory of Sealand. Then, in an act of de facto recognition of Sealand's sovereignty, Germany sent a diplomat directly to Sealand to negotiate for the release of their citizen.

Roy first released the Dutch citizens, as the war was over, and the Geneva Convention requires the release of all prisoners. The German was held longer, as he had accepted a Sealand Passport, and therefore was guilty of treason. Prince Roy, who was grateful that the incident had not resulted in a loss of life, and did not want to bloody the reputation of Sealand, eventually released him as well.

Why aren't there any civillian-created floating platforms out there? Anybody up to form an artificial island nation with me? I'll need a few structural engineers, a few chemists, a few electrical engineers, a few agriculturists, some doctors, some teachers, maybe a few nuclear engineers (with all that uranium in seawater...I mean, come on, why not? If the intelligentsia are forming their own nation I doubt they'll be swayed by nuclear FUD) and then we'll need some residents. Any takers? Is there anybody out there trying to do this sort of thing?

Does anybody have a ballpark figure on what it would cost to construct such a permanent platform occupying a few acres or collection of platforms each roughly the size of a football field?

The UN doesn't even recognize The Principality of Sealand! What kind of backwoods hicks are running that joint anyway?

To hell with UN and US. Let Sealand manage it. The only way to go.

So suppose I setup my political blog server here http://www.sealandgov.com/

Now whats the FEC gonna do to me?

You mean like "The Principality of Sealand"? I think thats about as close to perfect as you can get, check it out here.

I believe that Sealand is an artificial island, not a vessel. Also, I would suggest linking directly to their site, though I'd warn readers that it is a bit subjective.

http://www.sealandgov.com//

Declare and an uninhabited island a sovreign nation like Sealand .

Host questionable digital inforamtion that is still somewhat
palatible to you and the world .

Make and offshore bank system like the Caymens .

Your good to go ...LOL

http://www.sealandgov.com/

Peace !
Ex-MislTech

Try HavenCo, based in the principality of Sealand.

http://www.sealandgov.com/

It would be interesting to see how much money this saved the movie industry - errr, I mean cost the rest of us (i.e. taxpayers) to fund this joint venture.

Exactly. I'm so glad that we got to foot the bill for this ridiculous little witch hunt.

I wonder how difficult it would be to learn Sweedish, anyway...although I believe that they speak English in Sealand.

That was tried already in 1978. It wasn't successful.

everyone's favorite datacenter/island nation of Sealand which should be here. I actually emailed both Google and the leader of Sealand of this oversight since Sealand's leader is nothing short of a stupendous bad-ass based on it's history. I mean, who has the stones these days to do something like that?

everyone's favorite datacenter/island nation of Sealand which should be here. I actually emailed both Google and the leader of Sealand of this oversight since Sealand's leader is nothing short of a stupendous bad-ass based on it's history. I mean, who has the stones these days to do something like that?

The Principality of Sealand did it first I believe, although Petoria was probably covered by their cordless phone.

I'm thinking about applying for Sealand citizenship, myself...

^_^

What's Sealand's extradition policy?

...Sealand. Which is an independent monarchy just off the East Coast of the UK.

It runs as its (only) business, Havenco which is a totally anonymous secure web data center.

Unacceptable publications include, but are not limited to:

Material that is unlawful in the jurisdiction of the server. For instance, if a customer's machine is hosted on Sealand by HavenCo, content which is illegal in Sealand may not be published or housed on that server. Sealand's laws prohibit child pornography. Sealand currently has no regulations regarding copyright, patents, libel, restrictions on political speech, non-disclosure agreements, cryptography, restrictions on maintaining customer records, tax or mandatory licensing, DMCA, music sharing services, or other issues; child pornography is the only content explicitly prohibited. At the present time, child pornography is not precisely defined; HavenCo is obeying rules similar to those of the United States, specifically a prohibition on any depiction of those under 18 in a sexual context.

That made me think of two things:

http://www.freedomship.com/

(a project that is not going anywhere soon, but a cool concept), and

http://www.sealandgov.com/

(sysadmins wanted)

Sounds an awful lot like Sealand. They provide offshore webhosting without "imperialist entanglements". Funny stuff.

How about outsourcing to The Principality of Sealand?

Would the Principality of Sealand qualify for purchases?

LK

Why... Sealand of course!

Note, that site has a link to a great picture of Sealand here.

What surprises me the most about all of this, is that no one has bothered to make use of Sealand's co-location service. It undoubtedly costs an arm and a leg, but it's certainly not an easy target for a raid.

Sealand

Why start your own nation at sea when you can invade an already existing one?

http://www.sealandgov.com/

Plus Havenco's servers are already there and connected to the internet so no need to worry about bringing your own computer and aquiring an internet connection.

http://www.havenco.com/

There is of course another way to get around just about any patent that no one ever seems to talk about. Set up shop in Sealand. For those not in the know Sealand is an abandonned British military platform about the size of a football field in the middle of the ocean. And it just so happens that it is located in international waters. Established in 1967 by some British guy with a boat, it provides the ideal setting for those not interested in complying with IP laws. This is because they don't have any. None, natha, zero. They don't honor anyone else's either. Which is handy. If I am not mistaken, Havenco is located there as well.

Just basing the servers in principalities such as this will cover most of the ground most users want. Anonymity and privacy...

... you could buy an oilrig and set up your own prinipality fron which to thumb your nose at the world. Although international reckognition might be a problem.

You mean like HavenCo, on the principality of Sealand?

(You can read a lot more about Sealand over at the Wikipedia article.)

Perhaps a place like Sealand, and their hosting company HavenCo, where only three things are illegal: child pornography, spam, and hacking.

This is defintely a case where the services of Sealand and their hosting services would be useful. It's sickening to see how these corporate bandits can lift stories from the wealth of the public domain, exploit them, then not ever have to contribute back their own derived works (think Disney, Snow White, etc).

There already is a data haven, on Sealand. It's even mentioned on Neal's own site. :)

Perhaps they should have been hosted in SeaLand?

Where's sealand's servers when you need them?


In Sealand?

I vote that the Principality of Sealand gets a look!

Drat! You beat me too it.
However, here's their Official Website, and here's an interesting Wired article about Sealand.

FYI, not on an abandoned oil rig, but I think you're thinking of HavenCo on Sealand.