I'm not too excited about this, but I admit to being offended by the
"official" claim I hear in their spots. In a previous phase as a
broadcaster, I did decline to run their spots because I felt that they were
deceptive. Obviously, this was a minority opinion in the broadcast
community, and greatly offended my sales department, but I made it stick.

On the other hand, it is clearly less harmful than some of the diet and pill
scams widely advertised. I do feel sorry for the few that really think that
such a naming will be an easily visible object and will be recognized by
anyone.

Bill

> -----Original Message-----
> John Mahony
> Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 5:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [M]: OT: Just in time for X-mas, the star registry scam
>
>
> Not quite. Back during the race to the moon, there was an international
> treaty that recognized the IAU as the legal authority for naming
> objects in
> the solar system. But there is no established law giving either
> the IAU or
> anyone else any legal authority regarding the names of objects beyond our
> solar system. While there could in the near future be real
> concerns about
> mining rights on the moon or an asteroid, there is no need in the
> reasonably
> near future to be concerned with who "owns" the stars, so naming rights
> beyond the solar system has never become a legal issue.
>
> So anyone can name a star, or even a galaxy, if they want. But
> it carries
> no legal weight, whether you do it or the IAU does it. The misleading
> aspect of these ads is that they usually make a reference to
> "recording the
> name in the US copyright office", which makes it sound official. You can
> copyright your laundry list if you want. All it means is that no
> one else
> can copy it. But I could still give the same star another name, and it
> would be just as valid.
>
> Actually, most stars already have multiple "names", depending on
> which star
> catalog you look them up in, or which ancient cultures named them.
>
> -John
>
>
> >Subject: Re: [M]: OT: Just in time for X-mas, the star registry scam
> >Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2004 13:39:01 -0500
> >
> >Thanks Ralph and Ron. I should have known that answer.
> >
> >Dave
> >
> >Ralph Pass wrote:
> >>The IAU
> >>
> >>Ralph
> >>
> >>Dave Schanz wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >>>The folks at www.starregistry.com have begun running advertisements on
> >>>our local radio stations. For the low, low price of $54 and up plus
> >>>shipping), they will "officially" name a star for a loved one just in
> >>>time for Christmas. I'm sure you know of this scam.
> >>>
> >>>While I only have minor problems with them doing such a thing,
> I do have
> >>>a huge problem with their deceptive advertising both on the
> radio and on
> >>>their web site.
> >>>
> >>>I would like to notify our local radio station that the
> advertising they
> >>>are running for starregistry.com is misleading -- what they
> are actually
> >>>selling is a novelty item because they are not the folks who have the
> >>>authority to actually name stars or any other celestial object
> for that
> >>>matter, a detail they fail to note in their ads.
> >>>
> >>>The problem is, while I am sure starregistry.com aren't the folks
> >>>officially given the task of assigning actual catalog numbers and/or
> >>>names for uncataloged or newly discovered celestial objects, I
> don't know
> >>>who is.
> >>>
> >>>So who are the folks that have the authority to officially
> name objects?
> >>>
> >>>Dave S.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
>
>

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