| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank 14-15 April 1912. This article summarizes some of the legal implications of the 100th anniversary of its sinking, as the Titanic becomes subject to the provisions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. This article also discusses the implications of the application of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the rather unique development under the law of salvage through orders of the U.S. court sitting in admiralty that prohibit the exclusive salvors in possession of the Titanic, RMS Titanic, Inc. and Premier Exhibitions, Inc. (RMST/PE) from selling individual artifacts and instead require that RMST/PE keep the collection of artifacts salvaged from the Titanic together as an intact collection for the public benefit. Finally, the article discusses the need for general legislation to protect the Titanic and other underwater cultural heritage from looting and unwanted salvage.
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