Buy me the Moon Mommy!

 
As my favourite song goes,

Fly me to the moon, and let me play amongst the stars,
let me know what spring is like on jupiter and mars.

Well papers have been touting these days that you can buy a piece of land on the moon, for as low as Rs. 1400 an Acre (approximately US$ 30 Per Acre). Times of India, and Hindustan times have both covered it, and Now I am hearing that other papers are in the queue of it. (Click the picture above to view an Article from the Hindustan Times, Dated 26th March 2005)

Here is my outlook on the deal, and how you can save your self from the fraud.

How do you know this is a Fraud?
Well what if I was to come to you and sell you the Taj Mahal, will you believe me, what if I had a documentary proof, havent' we all heard of this joke, wont' you take me to be a scamster, a trickster for doing this. This is what selling the Moon is all about. Before you sell something, or actually buy something, you have to own it.

Who Owns the Moon
If I may, reproduced is an answer from the FAQ's of one of these sites

Contrary to popular belief, ownership by individuals of extraterrestrial properties is not forbidden. The 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty stipulates that no government can own extraterrestrial property, but it neglected to mention individuals or corporations.

While the Actual UN treaty can be found here, for the lazy couch potato friends, it reads

The moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind, which finds its expression in the provisions of this Agreement

Neither the surface nor the subsurface of the moon, nor any part thereof or natural resources in place, shall become property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity or of any natural person. The placement of personnel, space vehicles, equipment, facilities, stations and installations on or below the surface of the moon, including structures connected with its surface or subsurface, shall not create a right of ownership over the surface or the subsurface of the moon or any areas thereof.

Since when is this scam going on
As long as I know, it has been on for years now, but I can find information as old as year 2000 on the Internet.

Some Links You can see
MSNBC
Internet Fraud Services
CNN
Times of India

Should I still buy it ?
Well if you think you are not a natural person, and one or some or maybe all of your great grandpaernts were extra terrestrial, you should stake your claim to it.

But all I can say is, that Registry certificate on your wall, will not be more than a piece of paper, though yes, it may spark off a topic of conversation at parties.

G