Cantech News explains an Alberta land-owner’s ingenious use of copyright law:<\/p>\n
\nAlberta artist Peter van Tiesenhausen has provided an interesting legal precedent in his long-running battle with oil companies seeking to run a pipeline through his 800 acre territory. He has copyrighted his land as a work of art.<\/p>\n
Typically, industry can negotiate a\u00a0land acquisition agreement with a property owner and then claim right-of-way<\/a>\u00a0to run a pipeline across whatever properties stand in the way of getting its product to market. …<\/p>\n
Realizing that mining companies can legitimately lay claim to any land underneath private property to a depth of six inches, van Tiesenhausen contacted a lawyer who drew up an intellectual property\/copyright claim that said that if the oil company disturbed the top six inches in any way, it would be a copyright violation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe oil company wanted to come across with a pipeline,\u201d said van Tiesenhausen. \u201cAnd I said: No! And they said that I don\u2019t have any choice because we own the top six inches and they own everything else underneath, the mineral rights, etc. That\u2019s the way it works in Canada. And I said: you can put your pipeline as long as you don\u2019t disturb the surface. Of course, it\u2019s pretty much impossible or very expensive. But it\u2019s not a field or just a forest, it is an artwork! And they realized that I have a case. So for last 15 years they have left me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cantech News explains an Alberta land-owner’s ingenious use of copyright law: Alberta artist Peter van Tiesenhausen has provided an interesting legal precedent in his long-running battle with oil companies seeking to run a pipeline through his 800 acre territory. He … Continue reading