Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. v. The Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel

Filing 27

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. v. The Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel

Doc. 27

Case 8:07-cv-00616-JSM-MSS

Document 27

Filed 08/06/2007

Page 1 of 13

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA Tampa Division In Admiralty

ODYSSEY MARINE EXPLORATION, INC.
Plaintiff,
CIVIL ACTION

: Case No: 8:07-CV-00616-JSM-MSS

THE UNIDENTIFIED SHIPWRECKED VESSEL its apparel, tackle, appurtenances and cargo located within a five mile radius of the center coordinates provided to the Cour under seal
Defendant; in rem
and

The Kingdom of Spain
Claimant and Defendant.

PLAINTIFF' S MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER. REGARDING PRELIMINARY SITE ASSESSMENT
Plaintiff, Odyssey Marne Exploration, Inc. (" Odyssey ), by its undersigned
counsel , hereby moves for entr of a Protective Order granting Odyssey s request that (1) the

Court hold the Preliminary Site Assessment (hereinafter PSA") relative to the Unidentified
Shipwrecked Vessel under seal; (2) information contained within the PSA which is relevant to
the claim of Claimant/efendant Spain and which, if released, will not jeopardize the securty

the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel, be released to Claimant/efendant Spain and counsel for
Spain once Claimant/efendant Spain designates a particular authority within Spain to take

Dockets.Justia.com

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possession and control over the information and that authority and counsel for Spain both sign a
Confidentiality Agreement not to release the information to any other person or authority, even
authorities within the Spanish governent, without leave of Court.

The grounds supporting this motion are set forth in the accompanying
memorandum oflaw, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Respectfully submitted
Dated:

August 6, 2007

s/ Allen von Spiegelfeld Allen von Spiegelfeld - FBN 256803 avonsp(ffowlerwhite. com Eric C. Thiel- FBN 016267 ethiel(ffowlerwhite. com FOWLER WHITE BOGGS BANKER P. O. Box 1438 Tampa , Florida 33601 [phone]
Facsimile: (813) 229- 8313

Attorneys for Plaintiff

..

,: /

Case 8:07-cv-00616-JSM-MSS

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA Tampa Division In Admiralty

ODYSSEY MARINE EXPLORATION , INC.

Plaintiff

CIVIL ACTION

: Case No: 8:07-CV-00616- JSM- MSS

THE UNIDENTIFIED SHIPWRECKED VESSEL its apparel, tackle, appurtenances and cargo located within a five mile radius of the center coordinates provided to the Court under seal
Defendant; in rem

and
The Kingdom of Spain
Claimant and Defendant.

PLAINTIFF' S MEMORADUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION FOR ENTRY OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER REGARDING PRELIMINARY SITE ASSESSMENT
Plaintiff, Odyssey Marne Exploration , Inc. (" Odyssey ), by its undersigned
counsel , respectfully submits this memorandum of law in support of its Motion for Entry ofa

Protective Order Regarding Preliminar Site Assessment.
BACKGROUND
The Paries

Odyssey is a Nevada corporation with its principal place of business at 5215 West

Laurel St., Tampa, Florida 33607. Odyssey is engaged in the business of deep ocean exploration

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and the recovery of shipwrecks around the world.
The Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel rests at a depth of approximately 500

meters , beyond the terrtorial waters or contiguous zone of any sovereign nation, in the

Mediterranean Sea. For security reasons, the center point coordinates ofthe area in which the
Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel is located have been provided to the Court under seal.

Evidence at the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel indicates that efforts , if any, by any previous owner to salvage the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel and/or its cargo have been long since
abandoned.

Claimant and Defendant herein, Spain, filed a Verified Claim on May 30, 2007
(Dkt. 14) stating in par that "the Kingdom of Spain has not abandoned its ownership rights and

other rights in sunen vessels of the Kingdom of Spain, in vessels sunk while in the service of
the Kingdom of Spain, and in cargo or other property of the Kingdom of Spain on or in sunken
vessels. "
Claimant,

Spain s Verified Claim does not assert a basis for any claim specific to this

Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel.

History
On April 9, 2007, Odyssey filed the initial Verified Complaint In Admiralty In

Rem (Dkt. 1) against the Defendant in this case. Odyssey also tued over to the U. S. Marshal a
tea cup recovered from the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel for the symbolic arrest of the
Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel.
On April 13 , 2007,

this Court entered the Order Appointing Substitute Custodian

(Dkt. 10) and found that Odyssey was duly qualified to serve as the Substitute Custodian of the
tea cup and other artifacts recovered from the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel.

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On April 13 ,

2007, this Court issued an Order Directing the Issuance of a Warant

of Arest (Dkt. 6).
On April 13 ,

2007, the Clerk issued the Warrant of Arest.

On May 30 2007 , Claimant, the Kingdom of Spain filed its Verified Claim (Dkt.
14). Spain

s claim does not assert a basis for any claim specific to this Unidentified

Shipwrecked Vessel.

Along with this Motion, Odyssey filed its Amended Complaint which referenced
this Motion and the subject PSA.
Odyssey filed a Motion for Extension on July 23 , 2007, (Dkt. 20) and this Court

entered an Endorsed Order (Dkt. 21) granting Odyssey s Motion and giving Odyssey until
August 6,

2007 to file its response.

. The Wreck Site'
The Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel rests on the sea floor at a depth of
approximately 500 meters, within the Mediterranean Sea beyond the terrtorial waters or
contiguous zone of any sovereign nation.

The Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel' s position is

. located within a five mile radius of the center point coordinates which have been provided to the
Cour under seal. Odyssey first located the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel in Januar 2006
using sophisticated sonar and magnetometer equipment. Odyssey has recovered articles from the

Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel and is ready and able to conduct further operations to explore
and document the shipwreck, consistent with archaeological protocols appropriate for this

Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel, and to recover additional arifacts from the Unidentified
Shipwrecked Vessel.

,"

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When Odyssey first filed the initial Complaint, it had sureyed the wreck site and had begun an archaeological pre-disturbance survey taking video and photographs of the

Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel. Odyssey believes that the vessel associated with the wreck
site is an Italian-registered passenger ship which san in 1915 during World War

The Preliminar Site Assessment ("PSA"
Subsequent to the arest and the Cour appointing Odyssey as Substitute
Custodian , Odyssey found and safely transported several arifacts to the Middle District of

Florida from the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel which are undergoing conservation according

to strict archaeological protocols. Odyssey has prepared a Preliminar Site Assessment
(hereinafter PSA") regarding the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel and the artifacts recovered

and will present that to the Cour under seal. It is Odyssey s desire that the Cour has a full and
complete understanding of the wreck site, the artifacts recovered to date ' and the efforts and expense incurred by Odyssey to recover and conserve the artifacts in an archaeologically sound

maner.
Prior to filing the PSA, however, Odyssey hereby requests from the Court a
Protective Order stating that (1) the Court wil hold the PSA relative to the Unidentified

Shipwrecked Vessel under seal; (2) information contained within the PSA which is relevant to

the claim of Spain and which, if released, wil not jeopardize the security of the Unidentified
Shipwrecked Vessel, be released to Spain and to Spain s counsel only after Spain designates a
paricular authority within the countr to take possession and control over the information and

that both that authority and counsel for Spain sign a Confidentiality Agreement not to release the
information to any other person or authority, even authorities within the Spanish governent

without leave of Court.

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Spain s Appalling Behavior
The factual basis for Odyssey s request for a Protective Order include the

sensitive and valuable nature of the information contained within the PSA and the actions to date

of Defendant, Spain against Odyssey in its effort to force Odyssey to reveal the location of

arifacts it has recovered. Odyssey is prepared to release certain information from the PSA
directed by the Court to Claimant, Spain, however, Odyssey submits that given the information

garnered from the items recovered thus far, there is nothing which would require that the
Kingdom of Spain or any other third pary
be given any

more specific information other than

what is contained in this Amended Complaint and the Exhibits which are par of the public
record. These concerns are

elaborated in the attached affdavit of Gregory P. Stemm , Odyssey

Cofounder.
Odyssey s recovery of artifacts from this and other sites has been the subject of
intense international media attention , especially in Spain. Many Spanish media reports have

been filled with inaccuracies including false claims that artifacts were recovered ilegally from

Spanish terrtorial waters. As a result of the false reports , and despite Odyssey s continued
assurance that no artifacts have been recovered anywhere near Spanish terrtorial waters

Odyssey became the subject of a criminal investigation in Spain. In fact , Odyssey became aware
through the Spanish press that Spanish authorities would intercept and inspect Odyssey s vessels
(the Ocean Alert and the Odyssey Explorer)

if they attempted to depar Gibraltar where they

were docked. Odyssey

s attorneys were denied access to the order, however, and were told that

the order was "secret." Odyssey s attempts to appear in its defense were unsuccessful. Thus
Odyssey prepared a Sworn Statement of Gregory P. Stemm , Odyssey s Cofounder, explaining

Odyssey s actions and the facts surrounding the arest , the recovery, and the subsequent claims

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and baseless detention of Odyssey s ships by Spain. (A copy of the Sworn Statement
all Exhibits was attached to the Amended Complaint in this case).

including

Despite the fact that Odyssey provided the Sworn Statement and fuher
information regarding its recovery to Spansh officials, and despite the assurance of the Spanish

criminal judge (Judge Juan Jose Navas Blanquez sitting in substitution of the Judge for the

Number Thee First Instance and Preliminary Investigating Cour of La Linea de la Concepcion
and distrct - a different

judge from the one who signed the original "secret order ), that

Odyssey s vessels would not be boarded without the consent of the Master or forcibly taken to a
Spansh port, on July 12 2007 , while Odyssey was moving its vessel the
Ocean Alert

from

Gibraltar, and while the vessel was in international waters, Spain boarded the vessel under

protest from the Master and ilegally

seized the vessel forcing

it into the Spanish port of

Algeciras. Having alerted the Spanish media to the boarding and seizure, Spanish authorities
paraded the Ocean Alert

along the coastline for photograph and video opportnities.

Additionally, despite her protests, officials seized the personal computer of one of Odyssey
attorneys , Mare Rogers, and illegally copied all attorney/client privileged information regarding

Odyssey and other clients. As of the date of this Amended Complaint, the computer has been
returned without the hard drive. The original hard drive and copy are retained in the custody of

the cour. A formal complaint and request for the return of the hard drive and all copies taken
has been made to the court and is currently pending decision by the Judge as to the legitimacy of
the seizue of the laptop.

Once in Algeciras, Odyssey s crew and attorneys were forced by the Spanish

officials to sit in the scalding sun for approximately seven hours without food or water or use of

the restroom. Their passports were taken (but returned later that day) as were all of their

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electronic equipment (of which the hard drives have been removed and only the empty laptops
returned). The Odyssey Explorer

remains blockaded in Gibraltar by virte

of the criminal order

and threatened seizure by Spain. Odyssey s rights granted by this Cour to continue its recovery
have been restrcted by Spain, and Odyssey s damages as a result of Spain s conduct are

extensive.

Given the conduct of Spain to date , Odyssey has every reason to believe that
Spain wil use any information contained in

the PSA as a clue to the location of this wreck site.

Interestingly, counsel for Spain , Jim Goold, is the Chairman ofRPM Nautical Foundation , a

potential competitor in the provision of underwater archaeological services to Spain and other
countries. Clearly, Odyssey has an interest in assuring the confidentiality of any information

from the PSA which wil be released into his possession and control. Therefore, Odyssey
requests that the Court not release any of the information from the PSA unless and until a
confidentiality agreement is in effect which designates a particular authority within Spain to take

possession and control over the information and both that authority and counsel for Spain sign a
Confidentiality Agreement not to release the information to any other person or authority, even
authorities within the Spanish governent , without leave of Court.
11.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

The Courts have long understood that , in salvage cases, especially those involving
sunen wrecks, secrecy is often of the
Unidentifed Wrecked and
America Discovery Group v. Abandoned Sailing,

utmost importance.

See

Treasure Salvors, Inc.

546 F. Supp. 919 (S.D. Fla. 1981);

Columbus

Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, et. al. 203 F. 3d 291 303 (4th

Cir. 2000). Not only

is secrecy of the location important

, but secrecy as to the amount of

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propert obtained

and the wreck' s provenance data

l is also important.

This matter is no

different. This Court should exercise its discretion and grant a protective order guaranteeing the
PSA concerning this unidentified shipwreck remain protected.
Upon motion by a part, the Court

may protect the disclosure

or public

availability of "a
information. "

trade

secret or other confidential

research, development, or commercial

Fed. R. Civ. P.

26(c)(7). To determine whether the moving pary has shown good

cause , this Court is required to balance the interests of those requesting the order with other

competing rights to the disclosure
County,

of the

material. See

McCarthy

v.

Barnett Bank of Polk
758 F.2d 1545

876 F.2d 89 , 91 (11th Cir. 1989);
Chicago Tribune Co.

Farnsworth

v.

Procter

Gamble, Co.,

1547 (11th Cir.1985);

v.

Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. 263 F.3d 1304 (l1th

Cir. 2001).

This. Court has already recognized the unique nature of this -martime salvage

action and granted Plaintiffs motion for protective

order in sealing the exact location of the

current unidentified shipwreck (Dkt. 2 , 4). In addition to the good cause shown for sealing the

coordinates of the wreck, good cause also exists to seal the PSA and place limitations on any
disclosure of information contained in the PSA to Claimant Spain.

As detailed above and in the Affidavit of Gregory P. Stemm , the preparation of
the PSA in this matter required the expenditure of vast amounts of time and expertise. (Affidavit

Paragraph 5). Indeed, the research and expertise used to create the PSA is an essential part of the

process of identifying and salvaging a historical shipwreck,

and adds to the value of any

I "Provenance Data" is defmed as "valuable historical and archeological inormation

concerning

the exact location

depth and proximity of each item found with respect to other items. Cobb Coin Co., Inc. v. Unidentified, Wrecked

and Abandoned Sailing Vessel,
provenance data is

549 F. Supp. 540, 558 (S. D.
to

importt not only

Fla. 1982). The Cour furter noted that "the archeologists and anthopologists, but it documents the historians,
. at 559.

authenticity and thus enhances the resale value of otherwise precious arifacts.

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recovered items. (Affidavit, Paragraph 6). The present wreck location is an active historical site

and the protection

of the wreck' s

location for both archeological and salvage purposes is

essential. The information contained in the PSA, if released, would greatly prejudice the security

of the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel and allow competing salvors to gain enough information
to attempt unauthorized salvage at the wreck site (Affidavit, Paragraphs 7, 15- 17).

Plaintiff is wiling to provide certain information from the PSA to Spain that is
relevant to its claim. Plaintiffs recent recovery has set off a media circus in Spain, leading to a
highly charged political environment with several competing internal individuals and authorities
in the Spanish

Governent apparently competing over jurisdiction and control
Minister of Culture,

over the

unidentified wreck. The Spanish

the autonomous State of Andalucia, and

Spain may all have competing claims for the shipwreck. Accordingly, in order to protect the
security of the Unidentified Shipwrecked Vessel while providing information to the Claimant in

this matter, this Court should require that any information from the PSA be released to Spain
only if a confidentiality agreement is signed preventing the dissemination of the disclosed PSA
excerpts to persons other than the intended par.
For the foregoing reasons,

Plaintiff submits that it has demonstrated that good

cause exists to grant Odyssey s Motion for Protective Order. Furthermore, Plaintiff submits that

its interests in keeping the PSA confidential greatly outweigh any competing interest in the
unlimited disclosure of the

data.

Thus ,

Odyssey

s Motion for Protective Order should be

granted.

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Respectfully submitted
Dated:

August 6. 2007

s/ Allen von Spiegelfeld Allen von Spiegelfeld - FBN 256803 avonsp(ffowlerwhite. com Eric C. Thiel- FBN 016267 ethiel(ffowlerwhite. com FOWLER WHITE BOGGS BANKER P. O. Box 1438 Tampa, Florida 33601 [phone]
Facsimile: (813) 229- 8313

Attorneys for Plaintiff

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that on August
, 2007,
I electronically filed the

foregoing with the Clerk of the Court by using the CM/ECF system which wil

send a

notice of

electronic filing to James A. Goold , Covington & Burling LLP , 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. , NW
Washington , DC 20004, Attorneys for Claimant, Kingdom of Spain.

s/ Allen von Spiegelfeld Allen von Spiegelfeld - FBN 256803 avonsp(ffowlerwhite. com Eric C. Thel - FBN 016267 ethiel(ffow lerwhite. com FOWLER WHITE BOGGS BANKER P. O. Box 1438 Tampa , Florida 33601 [phone]
Facsimile: (813) 229- 8313

Attorneys for Plaintiff