Daniel Mediavilla interviewed me:
Virgiliu Pop, investigador en la Agencia Espacial Rumana y autor del libro Who Owns the Moon? (“¿de quién es la Luna?”), cree que los tratados de las Naciones Unidas en el espacio exterior y la idea de compartir los recursos espaciales como un bien común “han retrasado el desarrollo de una economía espacial”. En su opinión, el desarrollo de leyes que posibilitasen la apropiación privada de los recursos espaciales beneficiarían a todas las naciones, incluso a los países más débiles. “Asegurar los derechos de propiedad sería un pequeño precio a pagar, mucho más beneficioso para la humanidad que dejar el entorno espacial sin desarrollar”, asegura.

From adn.es:
Según Virgiliu Pop, un especialista de la Agencia Espacial Rumana, que acaba de publicar “Who Owns the Moon? – Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership” (Springer, 2008), las normas y reglas relativas a las propiedades extraterrestres están muy limitadas, ni siquiera son capaces de definir conceptos básicos como, por ejemplo, qué es un cuerpo celeste.
En su opinión establecer derechos de propiedad es la solución más aconsejable. Dejando al margen sus nobles ideales, el Tratado Lunar presenta más inconvenientes que ventajas. Los planes de regreso a la Luna van a hacer que la cuestión de la propiedad en el espacio exterior se concrete en nuevas normativas.

Ingunn Haraldsen writes:
Nå har forsker og jurist Virgiliu Pop skrevet bok den manglende eiendomsretten i det ytre rommet. … Nå hevder forsker og jurist Virgiliu Pop ved Det rumenske romfartssenteret (ROSA) at dagens konvensjoner som regulerer månen er svært begrenset. Pop er en av verdens fremste eksperter på jus i verdensrommet. Pop påpeker at konvensjonen ikke tematiserer landrettigheter på månen, og at dette vil bli et problem om en 15 års tid. Pop foreslår en utvikling av eiendomsretten i verdensrommet. Han diskuterer hvorvidt dette bør gå via det nasjonale lovverket. Kollektivt eierskap har han liten tro på. -Tross noble idealer om likhet for alle, har prinsippet om fellesarven i Moon Treaty flere mangler enn fortrinn, sier han til SPACE.com. I boken diskuterer han også hvorvidt noen eier asteroidene og kometene, eller om disse “flytende godbitene” er fritt vilt for erobringsvillige romfartsaktører. … Tandberg deler Pops vurdering om at dagens Moon Treaty er for upresis på en rekke områder.

Alessandro Mure, from the Corriere della Fantascienza, writes:
Mentre riparte la corsa allo spazio, uno studioso dell’Agenzia Spaziale romena pone la questione della proprietà del suolo lunare … E poi ci sono anche le ambizioni spaziali di Israele, Iran, Corea del Sud, Brasile e altri contendenti minori. Con un simile affollamento di presenze sulla Luna in un futuro più o meno lontato, qualcuno si è giustamente chiesto come verrà spartito l’eventuale bottino del suolo. Chi? La Nasa? La Esa? No. L’Agenzia Spaziale Romena. Non è uno scherzo: è appena uscito il volume Who Owns the Moon? — Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership (Springer, 2008) scritto da Virgiliu Pop, specialista dell’Agenzia Spaziale Romena. Lo studio è serissimo e si schiera contro il Moon Treaty del 1979 in cui si sanciva il principio della luna come patrimonio comune (e infatti non è stato ratificato da nessuna delle nazioni con serie ambizioni lunari). Pop professa con convizione la necessità di stabilire anche sulla luna il diritto di proprietà, perché “lo spazio è una frontiera che favorisce più l’individualismo che il collettivismo, e tali sfide devono essere affrontate approntando un regime legale adatto”.

My space.com interview raised some interesting questions – not only on lunar property rights, but also on national pride or shame:

Un roman, expert in probleme “lunare” (Joi, 11 decembrie 2008, 17:41)
Cifrus [anonim] Publicatia “Live Science” il citeaza chiar zilele acestea pe compatriotul nostru Virgil Pop, ce a scris o carte despre posibila exploatare comerciala, capitalista, a Lunii. “Who Owns the Moon? – Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership” (Springer, 2008) Iar aici aveti articolul: http://www.livescience.com/space/081210-who-owns-moon.html. E totusi o mica mandrie pt. Romania ca un roman e consultat in astfel de probleme ! Astfel de satisfactii sunt rare si merita remarcate.

luxdesign28 [utilizator] i-a raspuns lui rica venturiano salut nu e fudulie. La un alt nivel de constiinta se considera ca noi, respectiv romanii suntem ca un organism. Se pot considera partile sanatoase realizarile pozitive ale conationalilor, respectiv partile bolnave, involutiile acelorasi conationali de-ai nostri. Trebuie sa ne asumam atat partile pozitive, cat si partile negative. Ideea este ca un roman, un englez, un francez, sau orice alta natie am lua, nu-si va putea renega niciodata tara, chiar si daca ar vrea sa o faca… o va avea in sange si in suflet

Do you want a “certificate of Future ownership, assuming that you and or an ancestor can take possession of” Epsilon Eridani b? Do you know that “No one owns space because no one has claimed it…. Yet!”? Then, visit e-bay, where you will learn, from capcan74, that, according to one Virgiliu Pop, author of “Who Owns the Moon?” – Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership” (Springer, 2008),

“Space is indeed a new frontier calling for individualism rather than collectivism, and its challenges need to be addressed with a legal regime favorable to property rights.” and “Property rights are a useful engine and, in all likelihood, a precondition for pushing forward the development of the extraterrestrial realms”.

Therefore,

“You have already missed out on the Moon, Mars is next to go. Are you going to leave your Ancestors out of the Final Frontiers land-rush! The United Nations has declared that celestial bodies may not be claimed by any Nation, but as an individual you can!”

Well, dear capcan74, if you knew any better, you’d read more about my stance on “unreal estate” and you’d know that space, and celestial bodies, have been claimed by countless individuals, city councils, and schools. You’d learn that homesteading the final frontier does not mean simply claiming a planet, and that my name should not be used as an endorsement of such empty claims.

As for your fear of “leaving your ancestors out of the final frontier”, I have excellent news – Celestis provides excellent space funerals!

Ilya Somin, Assistant Professor of Law at the George Mason University, writes:
“Romanian space law scholar Virgiliu Pop … is a strong supporter of private property rights. As Pop suggests, private property rights on the Moon would have many of the same benefits as here on Earth. They stimulate investment, innovation, and competition. Perhaps even more important, they prevent the wanton destruction and overuse of valuable resources through a tragedy of the commons. I previously made the case for private property rights in space …, raising several points similar to Pop’s arguments.
More here.

Dan Talpariu, science editor at Softpedia, writes:
“[N]ot much thought has been given to the legal aspects linked to the ownership of the places we are exploring and will someday own. But a book written by a research specialist from the Romanian Space Agency, Virgiliu Pop, called “Who Owns the Moon? – Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership,” plans to change that. He believes that future generations of legal representatives may have their hands full soon. … In Pop’s view, property rights are better than group ownership.”

Lauren Davis, from io9, has this to say:
According to a prominent researcher on the subject, lunar property rights should be strictly first come, first served…. The UN’s so-called Moon Treaty declares that the moon is part of mankind’s common heritage, and would ban ownership of any extraterrestrial party, but the treaty has never passed and has not been ratified by any nation with a space program. According to Virgiliu Pop, that’s all for the best, since the UN has the wrong idea. Pop is a Romanian space lawyer who has written extensively on the topic of lunar property. His latest book Who Owns the Moon? Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources, Pop explores the possibility of creating a legal framework for property and natural resources law on the moon. At the heart of this exploration is the notion that energetic individuals, rather than international coalitions, will need to claim property in order to advance the cause of extraterrestrial colonization. … He also challenges the notion that homesteading will favor citizens of wealthy nations, whose public and private enterprises have the resources and technology to travel into space … Pop’s ultimate concern is that, without the development of a legal framework for lunar property rights, the moon will remain largely undeveloped. But, with more and more private companies looking into space travel, it may be a necessary to establish rights for private systems simply to ensure that laws are in place before the first settlers stake their claims. If the international community can develop a cohesive and enforceable framework, it could help keep the lunar frontier from descending into the wild West.

Glenn Reynolds, the famed Instapundit, directs his readers to “SOME THOUGHTS ON WHO OWNS THE MOON, from Virgiliu Pop. It’s a subject I’ve discussed myself.”