I didn't know that this was true. Do you have a citation?
I know that most companies that operate merchant ships don't allow their crews to be armed, because armed resistance to a pirate attack could easily get them killed.
I didn't know that there was a law against this, though.
I heard that only through word of mouth -- it could very well not be true. If you've taken a single class on Admiralty law, I would trust your hunch over this rumor.
Actually, my idea was to have JCVD play every single part in the movie.
Jean Claude Van Damme in a Jean Claude Van Damme production of a Jean Claude Van Damme film, starring Jean Claude Van Damme.
Cast:
Capt. Richard Phillips: Jean Claude Van Damme Crewmen 1-20: Jean Claude Van Damme Pirates 1-10: Jean Claude Van Damme Navy SEALs 1-15: Jean Claude Van Damme President Barack Obama: Jean Claude Van Damme The Maersk Alabama: Jean Claude Van Damme The U.S.S. Brainbridge: Jean Claude Van Damme