A Spanish woman has won the right to take online marketplace eBay to court for denying her right to sell plots of land on the Sun.
Maria Angeles Duran won claimed ownership over the star in 2010 and set up an eBay account selling plots on it at the price of €1 (74p) per square metre.
She
was inspired to register the fiery star in her name by an American man
who had done something similar with the Moon and other planets.
Her
plan was to sell off the ‘land’ and then distribute the profits across
Spain, while donating 10% to end world hunger, and keeping 10% for
herself.
She argued that although the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prevents
governments from laying claim to celestial bodies, it doesn't extend to
private individuals.
The entrepreneur started selling bits of the
Sun through her eBay account back in 2013. Buyers received a
certificate of ownership in return.
Some 600 people ordered plots, but eBay closed the page thinking it was a scam.
This left her with €101 in sellers fees while she was unable to collect the funds paid into her account by customers.
In 2014 she filed a suit for breach of contract, asking for €10,000
in compensation. eBay tried to settle out of court, but now a
magistrates court in Madrid has ruled that Angeles Duran can pursue
legal action.
The trial will take place in July, according to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia.
