Fact #178
Strange but true
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 says no country can claim any part of the Moon. That has not stopped one company selling certificates of ownership to what it says are six million customers.
The treaty binds states, and the usual argument for selling plots is that a private individual is not a state. No court has ever upheld it, no registry recognises it, and the certificates function as novelty gifts. What the treaty does not settle is mining, which is why the legal argument is now about what you may take rather than what you may own.
Source: Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, 1967, Article II · checked Sep 2026