Ivory legal questions

[John McKone]

Hi Gang.

Does anyone out there want to have a go at some of the legal issues
surrounding ivory?

Specifically:

1. Is it legal to sell old ivory keytops

2. Is it legal to buy old ivory keytops

3. Would it be legal to buy an old tusk found at an estate sale and cut new
keys from it?
     Would there need to be some certification that this was indeed old ivory?
     (I have a source that has offered to do this for me,  but want to
avoid both legal
      AND ethical concerns.)

4. What if I took an old ivory keytop to use as inlay on a guitar.  Is this
illegal?  Does it mean I could never take the guitar out of the country.

5.  Is it possibly illegal just to have the stuff lying around the shop?

Thought it might be nice if someone could clear this up for all of us.

Thanks!


John McKone, RPT
St. louis Park, Minnesota
(612) 280-8375
mckonejw@skypoint.com