In a landmark decision, Sweden's Supreme Court has ruled that two geologists who discovered a meteorite on private land near Enköping have the right to keep it. The court determined that the meteorite is considered movable property, not belonging to the landowner.
Supreme Court Rules: Geologists Retain Rights to Meteorite
Supreme Court Rules: Geologists Retain Rights to Meteorite
The two geologists who discovered a meteorite that landed on Count Johan Benzelstierna von Engeström's property outside Enköping have been granted rights to the stone, according to a ruling by the Supreme Court.
The geologists found the stone in 2020 and submitted it to the Swedish Museum of Natural History, but the landowner claimed ownership, leading to a legal dispute. The Supreme Court has now ruled that the stone is movable property and thus belongs to the finders.
"A meteorite differs from stones and other materials that are part of real estate. It is unique due to its properties and its origin from space," the Supreme Court stated.
"The meteorite that fell on the property outside Enköping did not belong to the property owner. The geologists who found the meteorite had the right to take it with them," the ruling further states.