If You Do the Crime, You Don't Get a Dime.

• Position: Laws prevent profiteering on murder-case memorabilia - Brief Article

Apparently, there's a market out there for the macabre.

Murder memorabilia.

Recently, Internet auction houses, such as eBay, offered morbid wares ranging from letters and signed autographs to locks of hair and toenail clippings of convicted killers.

eBay has since banned such items, but the Internet is still being used as a tool for third-party brokers and prisoners to make money off crimes. Objections by victims' families have prompted legislatures in two states to pass laws to address who can profit from murder memorabilia.

At least 40 states have notoriety for profit or "Son of Sam" laws. Named after the David Berkowitz "Son of Sam" murders in New York, these laws require those who contract with an offender for a book or movie, for example, to turn over any profits made to the state.

The money first goes to pay off any civil damage claims against the offenders. Extra money goes into victims' compensation funds or is used to pay victim restitution orders, court costs and attorney fees. Though such laws prohibit criminals from making money off their stories, they do not prevent the same criminals from giving or selling "memorabilia" of themselves to third-party brokers who then turn around and sell these items...