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Supreme Court justices struggle with copyright case involving Blackbeard's pirate ship

The justices on Tuesday heard arguments in a copyright case over photos and videos that document the recovery of the Queen Anne's Revenge, discovered in 1996.
Credit: AP Photo
This is an undated portrait of pirate Blackbeard. Blackbeard's real name is thought to be either Edward Teach, Edward Thatch or Tache.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is wrestling with a modern-day dispute involving the pirate Blackbeard's ship that went down off North Carolina's coast more than 300 years ago.

The justices on Tuesday heard arguments in a copyright case over photos and videos that document the recovery of the Queen Anne's Revenge, discovered in 1996.

The company that took the images holds the copyrights to them and says the state should pay for using them. North Carolina says a federal law that seems to allow for copyright infringement lawsuits against states is unconstitutional.

It was unclear what the justices would decide.

RELATED: Blackbeard's ship case about images returns to trial court

RELATED: Supreme Court will hear copyright dispute involving Blackbeard's pirate ship

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