# Is it illegal to carve your name in the moon with a big ass laser? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2000, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262 "2000-04-21T16:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![winky99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/71c47a/32.png) [@winky99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/winky99)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/41 "2000-06-09T17:01:57Z")
Here are couple of links from a Google search. [http://www.wildwings.co.uk/space/Space%20Travel.htm](http://www.wildwings.co.uk/space/Space%20Travel.htm) [http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/travel/DailyNews/space990623.html](http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/travel/DailyNews/space990623.html) ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/42 "2000-06-09T17:48:35Z")
winky99–Cheesehead is right. Some years ago there was a treaty signed by the members of the UN that declared the Moon an international territory, and not the property of any one country. So I don’t who would prosecute you if you used a Big Ass Laser ™ to carve, etc. etc. The World Court? ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/43 "2000-06-09T17:56:32Z")
\I… wanna defy… the logic of all sex laws…\ ---
**Author:** ![winky99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/71c47a/32.png) [@winky99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/winky99)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/44 "2000-06-09T18:53:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > winky99–Cheesehead is right. Some years ago there was a treaty signed by the members of the UN that declared the Moon an international territory, and not the property of any one country. So I don’t who would prosecute you if you used a Big Ass Laser ™ to carve, etc. etc. The World Court? > \*\* Ok, so the UN probably handles justice for the moon (I’d like to see the Book of Statutes). But what about space? If Motel 6 builds an orbiting hotel and one of the patrons shoots Tom Bodet for leaving the lights on, how is that person held accountable for his actions? ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/45 "2000-06-09T20:59:35Z")
It probably falls under the same legal domain as crimes commited on international waters. ---
**Author:** ![winky99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/71c47a/32.png) [@winky99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/winky99)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/46 "2000-06-09T21:08:52Z")
I reposted my original reply as a new [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=27022). I am going to respond to you there. ---
**Author:** ![Threll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Threll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threll)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/47 "2000-06-09T22:16:45Z")
I once read an article on [http://www.space.com](http://www.space.com) Apparently the air force wanted to detonate a nuke on the moon. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/48 "2000-06-10T00:56:43Z")
(Said in a _very_ small voice:) I laughed myself into stitches over the OP, but was only reminded of Dave Barry, particularly his stuff on _guys_. “Guys” climb a mountain, or build the tallest building–and want to spit or piss off it. They accidently explode something into atoms and think: cool! They see something pristine and wanna carve their initials. Yeah, yeah, so it’s not nearly as elevated an association. But face it, Breckenshire, this is _very_ GUY. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/49 "2000-06-10T02:04:10Z")
Does anyone know where I can get a Big Ass Laser installed? Talk about a spectacular way to light your farts! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/50 "2000-06-10T09:01:06Z")
Sorry, you can’t. D. D. Harriman has already sold the rights to the 6+ beverage company. Not that they expect to use the rights, but they wanted to keep them from their major competitor. For those of you who haven’t a clue what I was just talking about, read “The Man who Sold the Moon”, by Robert A. Heinlein. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/51 "2000-06-10T10:50:35Z")
**Mad Ad** A Madison Avenue whizzkid thought it a disgrace That no one had exploited the possibilities in space Discussed it with a client who agreed and very soon A thousand miles of neontubing were transported to the moon. Now no one can ignore it the product’s selling fine The night they turned the moon into a Coca-Cola sign. _Roger McGough_ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/52 "2000-06-11T16:09:55Z")
Is it really possible to make a laser come out your ass? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/53 "2000-06-11T16:31:06Z")
Breckinshire, this post is absolutely hilarious! So funny that I nominated it for _Threadspotting_. P.S. Let me know if you ever get a hold of that laser. I have a few things I could use it for. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jubei2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@jubei2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jubei2k)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262/54 "2000-06-11T21:29:00Z")
I read this subject line a little bit differently. Instead of “Big-ass Laser”, I thought you meant “big Ass-laser”. Before opening the thread, I thought, “Who in the hell has invented ass lasers?” Either way, thanks for the good laugh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-name-in-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser/16262.md?page=2)