Michael Bates, Prince and heir to Sealand, clearly stated in a CBC interview that he has no intention of selling Sealand to any organization that violates international treaties: "It's theft of proprietary rights, it doesn't suit us at all. In fact, I've written a book and Hollywood is making a movie out of it, so it would go right against the grain to go into the file sharing thing." History tells us that Sealand did not always respect this recent announcement – it was once home to Michael's father's pirate radio broadcasting operation.
The estate agent hired to handle the sale of Sealand also did not agree with PirateBay.org's dreams: "We might not be able to sell to them, since one of the conditions imposed by the actual occupants of Sealand is that none of the activities to be carried out on Sealand should be an action against the UK, and potentially this group does not comply with this condition."
Legal online publication Out-Law consulted a Dundee University lecturer asking him what his take was on Sealand being its own sovereign nation. Professor Robin Churchill seems to have destroyed previous beliefs: "It is within 12 miles of the coast of Britain and in 1987 the UK extended its territorial waters to 12 miles. That means that UK law applies, including the law of copyright, which could be extended to Sealand without any legal problems whatsoever."
News source: DailyTech
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