Does anyone own the moon?

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2844az

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I can't think of anyone owning the moon. Perhaps they could claim a section of it if they landed there. Kind of like the US land grab in the expansion of the west. There is a fellow out west that sells sections of the moon to people who have more money than brains. He writes them out a contract and gives them a map of the area they purchased. Now, how could he enforce that? Yet! He makes millions off of that. That is like selling the Pet Rock!! Gary
 
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pirated

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yep, you can also buy property on the bottom of the pacific.<br /><br />too stupid.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>Peace. </p><p><font color="#33cccc">-------------------------------------------------------------------</font> <strong><font color="#993300">I'm a Rock!</font></strong></p><p><font color="#33cccc">Little Johnny was a scientist. Little Johnny is no more. For what he thought was H2O was H2SO4.</font></p> </div>
 
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billslugg

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If person A was to claim ownership of a parcel on the Moon, and person B paid him $100 for it, no government would interfere. If it was a binding contract, the courts would probably entertain a civil suit for non payment. If person B was to go there and claim it, plant a flag and declare it to be Moonistan, nobody would object. If person B was to apply for a seat in the UN general assembly for Moonistan, he would be rejected. If person B was to find interlopers in Moonistan, and was to ask the US for military assistance to defend himself, he would be rejected. <br /><br />[humor] <br /><br />And if Hillary was to be asked about assistance to Moonistan she would reply:<br /><br />"Bill, Bill, Bill - I am saddened that you are so ill informed. Why, I hear this question from young and old as I cross this great country of ours. While addressing this policy will be one of the mainstays of my administration, we certainly don't have time right now and here to delve into such a complicated issue. But I must ask you this: Why are you obsessed with such a matter when Bush and Cheney are shredding the constitution by denying your civil liberties and invading friendly countries?" <br /><br />[/humor] <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>
 
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manifolder

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Have you heard of The Universal Mineral Lease Registry? yes its real! Someone can own the minerals on the moon, but no country or governmental body can.<br /><br />Check it out if you dont believe me: http://www.umlr.us/
 
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adrenalynn

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What makes them more qualified to dictate that than say... Me?<br /><br />How about if I sold claims that overlapped with those? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>
 
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adrenalynn

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I'm the founding member of The Bestest Lunar Embassy <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>
 
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observer7

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Its even more complicated then you might think.<br /><br />Consider,<br /><br />1) The Moon Treaty is not binding. If the US decided to pull out of the treaty they could. Who is going to enforce the terms of the treaty if the US (or China) breaks one (or more) of them? Like all UN actions it has no teeth.<br /><br />2) Land ownership can be based on two legal principles. In the US we use common law principles in that the government grants and protects land ownership (through deeds) to private individuals. The second system is based on Roman civil law, in this system the individual obtains property rights and the government recognizes the individuals claim. It is a very subtle difference, but it has big legal implications. The second paradigm would allow individuals (or corporations) to claim land on celestrial bodies and then government(s) could legitimize these claims.<br /><br />3) Dennis Hope is the original "Lunar Embassy" guy. He sells 1/4 acre lots of Moon property for 29.99. His website (and the fake deeds he sells) clearly state that this is a novelty for entertainment purposes (which is how he has avoided being shut dow by people suing them when they lok deeper into owning part of the Moon). He does keep a registry and does not sell the same property to more then one individual. The question is, could he get some government to legitimize his claims under civil law? What are the ramifications of this scenario?<br /><br />4) Like most legal matters, this issue will be settled by arbitration, treaties, court decisions, and the actions of sovereign nations. <br /><br />I had several courses on this subject at the University of North Dakota and the only thing we decided was that we can't decide before someone challenges current law (or lack thereof) by staking a claim.<br /><br />-- <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">"Time exists so that everything doesn't happen at once" </font></em><font size="2">Albert Einstein</font> </div>
 
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willpittenger

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Your claims are valid only if you file the appropriate paperwork with the appropriate office inside Tycho in person. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>
 
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