US government moves to block RMS Titanic Inc.'s auction of historic wreck artifacts

RMS Titanic Incorporated, granted exclusive salvage rights in 1994, has proposed auctioning more than 100 artifacts from the "French Collection" recovered during a 1987 dive. The US government, represented by NOAA, contends that the sale would violate the company's obligation to preserve the entire assemblage for scholarly study and public display. Historians and archaeologists have also voiced opposition, warning that dispersing the items would erase a unique historical record.

In August, a district judge issued a temporary injunction pending further review, and the company has appealed to the Fourth Circuit, seeking expedited consideration. This is not the first attempt; a similar 2016 proposal was rebuffed by US, French, UNESCO and cultural bodies. The dispute unfolds amid a booming market for Titanic memorabilia, where recent sales have fetched millions of dollars.