On December 1, 2015, the videographers who have spent almost two decades documenting the retrieval of Blackbeard’s pirate ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, filed a Federal lawsuit against Gov. Pat McCrory, the State of North Carolina, and others, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The lawsuit filed by Nautilus Productions LLC and its owner Rick Allen alleges that the recently passed “Blackbeard’s Law” is unconstitutional, and that the defendants have infringed copyrights owned and licensed by Allen and Nautilus, violated other federal laws, and engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices. Defendants in addition to the Governor and the State include employees of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR), and the Friends of Queen Anne’s Revenge nonprofit. http://nautilusproductions.com/blog/blackbeards-lawsuit