WASHINGTON — A Spanish court has agreed to hear the case of a woman who is suing eBay because the company will no longer allow her to sell the sun, reports The Daily Mail.
Maria Duran, 54, had been selling 11 square-foot plots of the star for $1 each. She had received 600 orders before eBay took down the listing, fearing a scam. Duran argues that she did not violate the seller’s agreement on the site and is suing for about $11,000 in damages.
Duran began her claim to the sun in 2010 when she threatened to sue solar power companies. She believes she’s found her right to the sun in a loophole in the UN’s Outer Space Treaty stating no nation can claim ownership to a heavenly body, but says nothing about individuals.
“I’m not a stupid person and I know the law,” Duran told the Daily Mail in 2010 of her solar ownership, which is detailed in a notary public document.
She also claims eBay has taken commissions on her orders without allowing her to gain any profit. The company attempted to settle out of court, but Duran is pressing the case.
She will continue to sell segments of the sun on her personal website while the case is ongoing.
