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Lawyers In Space...
colonist writes "The Christian Science Monitor presents an interesting overview of space law. Some want space to be shared by all: 'Outer space is a province of all mankind. There is not, and should not be, any privatization of outer space. It is a common thing that should belong to all.' Some people have claimed parts of the moon or Mars. In response, a lawyer has claimed the sun, 'to show how ridiculous a property-rights system in outer space would be if it were based solely on claims unsubstantiated by any actual possession.' The Space Settlement Initiative wants official recognition of land claims made by those who establish human settlements on the moon or Mars."
Dibs on Uranus!
[insert witty sig here]
Beings aspergers AND pulling chicks... I enjoy the challenge!
What do you call 100 lawyers on the moon?
A good start.
Technoli
Damn, and here I thought I was about to read about a proposal to kick all the lawyers off the planet!
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
Send ALL the lawyers into space ... spacesuits not required.
So can I sue this lawyer if I get skin cancer?
- Hal..
- HAL?!
- Yes Dave
- Let me in, I have a case to prosecute
- I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
So now that he owns the sun, can he claim that our use of the light and UV radiation from the since is illegal decryption of a private algorithm and therefore illegal under the DMCA?
That sunburn is proof enough that you decrypted our signal without licensed tools!
--- I used to moderate, then I read the -1 articles and decided having to filter through them was not worth it.
Silly - he doesn't need to build an OFFICE on the sun for that. All the billing has been farmed out to India!
:::The Spear in the heart of the Other is the Spear in the heart of You; You are He - Surak of Vulcan:::
I predict that in 500 years, you'll be dead. The Indians will get the last (spiritual) laugh - ownership is an illusion.
XML causes global warming.
He is currently pushing for the DMRA (Digital Millenium Ray Act) that will dictate how and when you are allowed to use those rays, even though you have paid for them and even though they are broadcast into your own space regardless.
0 ,000,000 per year to unauthorized and unpaid for photon use, not to mention such black-hat practices as the storing of solar radiation using contraband such as solar cells or the growing of plants from pirated photon streams, which can then be consumed later for energy, with the net effect that the individual in question eventually gains solar energy without having licensed or paid for it.
Technology is under development that will strictly govern the ways in which you are able to use his sun's rays, and will monitor your ray use for marketing purposes and of course to ensure that you aren't pirating rays.
Any circumvention of this control on your use of rays or any unauthorized use of rays, even those that filter through your windows uninvited, will be a federal solar system offense, punishable by up to 15 years in a federal solar system prison and a 1,000,000,000 fine.
Such stiff penalties are necessary because of the vast quantities of solar radiation involved, which, if totaled, represents a truly staggering amount of currency. In fact, the sun's owner estimates that he loses over $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00
"We're working hard to ensure that everyone is complying with the law and can enjoy the sun's rays safely and legally, while still supporting the sun," says the sun's owner. Privately, though, he hints that the loss of revenue due to unpaid for photon use may eventually destroy the giant, causing it to go red and eventually fade into a much smaller, more dense star.
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
"People should wear protective sun screen, sun glasses, sun hat and drink plenty of water in order to avoid these inconveniences - but, if somebody were to sue me for damage provoked by the Sun, I do not think any court would be that unwise to consider their claims. By recognizing that I am responsible for the damage from the Sun, the court would implicitly recognize that I do indeed own the Sun - which is ridiculous".
Sounds like something that Douglas Adams would write about, earthlings trying to own everything they can, heh.
Freedom would be not to choose between black and white but to abjure such prescribed choices. -Theodor Adorno
Actually, you have hit one what I have thought the real solution to these jokers has been all along. As soon as someone tries to make money off of any of these claims (charging NASA for "parking" on Eros, claiming trespass for missions landing on the moon or mars, etc.), we should see tax law revised to consider these rights as real property taxable in the jurisdiction in which the owner lives. Tell the guy who is trying to charge NASA for parking, sure, here's your $10,000, but we have determined the value of your asteroid at $80B, and you owe back property tax to the tune of the last 3 Federal Budget deficits.
"Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
By all means, put them in space. Send them on the ships.. but make sure their uniforms are red shirts.
I had a great sig.. then I lost my penmanship.
There is not, and should not be, any privatization of outer space. It is a common thing that should belong to all.
Total Bullshit. Ownership of the space and all contained within a sphere from the Sun to the Ort cloud is the NATURAL RIGHT of the original inhabitants of this solar system: Us. If any deliquent ET tries to slip in through a wormhole in the middle of the night while we're sleeping we have every right to BLAST it!
This is just a logical extension of the Monroe Doctrine: The Io333 Doctrine.
I would expect squatter's rights to have presidence in most cases - unless, of course, 'moon men' or 'native martians' show up with the titles to the land.
My question is, how did we go from nomadic tribesmen to our current property based system? Perhaps that would be instructive for future outer space explorers, realters and land speculators.
Lodragan Draoidh
The more you explain it, the more I don't understand it. - Mark Twain