The new decision of Judge Rebecca Beach Smith allows the recovery of the Titanic's telegraph, an accessory of particular importance, since thanks to its use by the captain, Jack Phillips, more than 700 passengers - out of 2,208 on board - were saved in the April tragedy 1912.
According to the court decision, (which overturns the 2000 decision) a license is granted to the company RMS Titanic, Inc. (RMST) to retrieve the telegraph. She is even allowed to cut or detach parts of the wreck in order to remove the device.
The Marconi apparatus has particular historical, educational and cultural value as the telegraph was used to send a distress signal when the Titanic was sinking.
Numerous organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), strongly oppose its recovery plan. According to the Smithsonian, one of the reasons is that this mission is a violation of the agreement between the US and Britain (who, due to the route of the ocean liner, share the management of what is left of it) as well as against UNESCO rules that prohibit commercial use of the wreck.
Historians and archaeologists also express their displeasure. "Just as a lion is much more appreciated when seen in its natural habitat, on the African savannah, than when it is locked up in a zoo, so the Marconi device shares its history and its value better than where it is." wrote David Conlin, head of the Center for Undersea Resources in his filing.