... Katie -- Gene admitting he can't answer a question about chip regs!! You won't see that too often!

I'll take a stab at them, though:

>> How can we be allowed to sell it if it doesn't really belong to us? <<

Keep in mind that Gene's comments apply only to Nevada chips. I don't think AC has a comparable regulation. And it's unlikely that any other juridiction does either. So, we're talking only about Nevada chips. And see my comments in response to Gene's other post about the doctrine of estoppel. Despite the gaming regs, I think collectors would win a lawsuit over chip ownership (at least LE's). Meaning that we DO own them and CAN sell them.

>> I can understand the art work copyright. But what about this...
who owns a chip from an obsolete casino...one that's gone all
together? If that corporation (let's say for example) is now
out of business...who owns the chip? Does it default back to
the manufacturer of the chip? <<

VERY perceptive and excellent questions!! Generally speaking, if an individual copyright holder dies or organization holder ceases to exist, the copyright passes to the successor in interest (heirs of a person; buyer of assets of the business which has ceased to exist).

On rare occasions, there will be no heirs; in that case, the assets of the deceased escheat to the state. So, literally, the state would own any copyrights (or chips) previously owned by the individual.

It's not quite as simple when a business folds. In any case involving a large corporation (such as a casino), the collapse of the business would almost certainly involve a bankruptcy. The trustee in bankruptcy would sell the assets of the bankrupt for the benefit of creditors. So, SOMEONE would buy (or at least have the opportunity to buy) any copyrights (or chips). That buyer would then own the copyrights (and, presumably, any chips or any regulatory right to obtain chips from collectors <g>).

In the case of smaller businesses (and, most likely that includes many of the small, older casinos and maybe even some manufacturers), such legal niceties may not have been observed. In which case there would be no one to enforce any copyright (which would leave the copyright material in the public domain, I think) or the right to confiscate any obsolete poker chips. Which pretty much means we can do as we please with them!!

The manufacturer (while it might have some copyright interest) would have no right to possession of the chips at all.

Hope that helps!! ----- jim o\-S