There shall be no limitation on the use of or no requirement to alter any such photograph, video recordings, or other documentary material, and any such provision in any agreement, permit, or license shall be void and unenforceable as a matter of public policy.
"[1] The statute was inserted into another bill by Representatives Norman Sanderson (R - Pamlico) and Jim Davis (R - Macon) at the request of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR).
[2] One year later, the North Carolina Legislature amended the statute to read, "All photographs, video recordings, or other documentary materials of a derelict vessel or shipwreck or its contents, relics, artifacts, or historic materials in the custody of any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions shall be a public record pursuant to Chapter 132 of the General Statutes.
Before posting the videos detailed in the litigation, the North Carolina Legislature passed "Blackbeard's Law", N.C. General Statute §121-25(b).
[20][21] In a press release Nautilus noted that, "North Carolina...and state entities can sue others for copyright infringement and damages.