I guess then, unless SpaceX made an announcement that they want their stuff
back, then it's yours?
Ken
On Fri, Apr 21, 2023 at 10:22 AM Ben Brockert <wikkit@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Citation needed. This is a debris-generating attempted space launch, not a
cargo ship lightening their load. And even if it was, the finder of jetsam “is
not required to return them to their rightful owner except in the case
where the latter makes a legally abiding claim” which is a bigger process
than the most likely Twitter post or email.
On Friday, April 21, 2023, Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Fri, 21 Apr 2023, Ben Brockert wrote:
Heat shield tiles are starting to wash up on the beach. I hope people
put them up on ebay, and don't fall for any "that's spacex property
you must return it" bullshit.
Actually, maritime salvage law is quite clear: debris of identifiable
origin, which hasn't been explicitly abandoned (e.g. thrown overboard to
lighten ship), continues to belong to the original owner. I think the same
rules apply to aviation. Just because they lost it and you found it,
*doesn't* mean it's yours to keep or sell.
Now, that doesn't mean you're obliged to spend your own time and money
returning it to them; if they want it back, they ought to do the legwork or
offer to cover costs (plus something for time and trouble). And if they
have any sense, for stuff of minimal value they'll just say "oh, keep it".
But legally that's their call, because it really *is* still their property.
Henry