Titanic salvage firm loses bid to own artefacts

The Guardian

he company that has exclusive salvage rights to the wreckage of the Titanic does not own the site or the artefacts recovered from it, a US federal appeals court has ruled. The ruling by the 4th US circuit court of appeals affirmed a decision by the district court in Norfolk, Virginia.

RMS Titanic Inc had sought full ownership of the nearly 6,000 artefacts it has recovered from the shipwreck, claiming that they are worth some $71m (?40m).

Article continues In 1994, the district court granted it sole salvage rights, allowing it to recover artefacts from the liner to be used in the public interest. The court barred the company from selling the items, including passengers' clothing and part of the ship's hull.

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