Posted by shafeen Khan on October 21, 1999 at 07:51:36:
In Reply to: Wreck hunting politics posted by J.G.M. on November 10, 1998 at 08:33:16:
: Most wreck hunters are secretive about their successes for a number of reasons. Successful wreck hunters spend a lot of money and time to find unknown wrecks. Once the wreck hunter locates a wreck, they are often concerned with diving and exploring the wreck without interference from others, and this is what causes problems. The wrecks are owned by everybody but it does not necessarily follow that the knowledge of the wreck's location is owned by everyone. The wreck is an object while the location is knowledge that was gleaned through the energy of an individual. Many people do not see the distinction between the ownership of the wreck and the ownership of its location, but it is important. This distinction is important because the dismissal of it fails to recognize the fundamental right of an individual to hold private intellectual property (namely the location of the wreck).