US Government Opposes Titanic Artifacts Auction
A company called RMS Titanic Inc wants to auction over 100 Titanic artifacts. The items include personal belongings, currency, kitchen items and decor.
The US government is against this plan. Court documents revealed the government's opposition.
The agency leading the fight is NOAA. NOAA says the sale would break existing agreements.
Those agreements say the artifacts can only be shown in museums and traveling exhibitions. RMS Titanic Inc holds exclusive salvage rights to the Titanic wreck. The Titanic sank in 1912.
Klear Note — The Titanic sank in 1912 in the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of history's most famous shipwrecks. Artifacts from the wreck are protected by international agreements.
Key Terms 4
- RMS Titanic Inc The company with legal rights to recover items from the Titanic wreck
- NOAA US government agency that manages oceans and protects historic sites
- salvage rights Legal permission to recover and keep items from a sunken ship
- artifacts Old objects recovered from a historic place like a shipwreck