Great, I hope they will not get prosecuted for 'kidnapping' government property.

Wingman4l7 · on July 8, 2014

This project has NASA's "approval" / encouragement: http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/may/nasa-signs-agreement-with...

It's a "Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA)".

"The NRSAA details the technical, safety, legal and proprietary issues that will be addressed before any attempts are made to communicate with or control the 1970’s-era spacecraft as it nears the Earth in August."