Artist Saves His Land from Pipelines by Turning It Into Art and Buying It a Copyright

An artist in Canada made the most interesting move in trying to save his family's property from being bought by oil companies. He turned his land into art and bought it a copyright, claiming that any change in the land would be a "copyright infringement," allowing him to sue anyone that will industrialize his land in the next 50 years.

At this time, there are a number of pipeline proposals that would run through Canadian lands and mountains. These include TransCanada's Energy East pipeline. There is also the Trans Mountain Expansion. Since the 1990s, oil companies have been buying off homes and farms, not only creating a major eyesore, but also displacing many families.

According to a report, any oil company can lay claim to "any land underneath private property to a depth of six inches." It is with this that Peter von Tiesenhausen started finding ways to stop oil companies from laying their pipes in his home.

The Canadian artist said that he not only owns the 800-acre land but has also grown up in it. In an interview, the artist explained that many of his arts not only feature nature but also encourage his fellows to take care of it.

One of the pieces of art he has been doing in his land is a long white picket fence which he has started when he was very young. Every year, he adds a little length representing his life. The ones he has built when he was young are now old.

A report from Treehugger explained that he has not done this so that he would get money from his land. He said that he has just done a method to meet these oil companies eye to eye, relating to them and challenging them on their level.