Mine — Examining the Law of Ownership
An interview with Prof. Michael Heller
A dispute over the proper owner of Barry Bonds’ million-dollar home run ball, the right to grow California redwood trees that are shading a neighbor’s solar panels, the legality of shooting down a drone flying over private property: the common thread among all these seemingly unrelated cases is that these are conflicts about ownership design. Ownership design is a powerful social engineering tool that shapes how we live our lives. It determines who gets what and why. Professor Michael Heller, co-author of Mine! How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives, explains the six fundamental stories that determine all rules of ownership through the lens of some surprising and controversial property law cases in American jurisprudence.
