Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
With physical property, at some point the gov't takes possession. In most states in the US, intestacy checks for a couple of generations back (parents, grandparents) before giving up; while distant relatives might make a claim for land or other property of substantial value, I don't think the state looks for them indefinitely before reassigning ownership.
I'm not sure the gov't in the US can take possession of IP; its publications are automatically in the public domain. And I find it fascinating that googling turns up *nothing*, as if this were an obscure situation that's never come up in any legal setting.
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I'm not a US lawyer nor an expert on US law. However, I suspect that you may find that any policy of State or Federal Governments in relation to making IP public domain is likely a policy rather than an actual statute. This would mean that in the very few cases where this happens the Government concerned would be entitled to the IP but you would need to identify and look at the particular policy as to how it would be treated. Also, if your succession law is state based then presumably it is the state government concerned to whom the property will pass.
Look at the policy of the government concerned.