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To my mind, its not a matter of "should", its a matter of "What's the easiest way to get this thing back?"
Somehow, paying the guy seems easier (and more than likely ultimately cheaper) than dealing with a lawsuit.
It's not like it was stolen from an individual that can't afford to buy it back or even from Bill Gates. You're talking about an entire nation with an economy nearing $1,000,000,000,000 and I'm sure 10s or hundreds of BILLIONS in tax and other revenue.
It's been gone for decades, no one cared. It only makes sense to fork over 0.00008% of your national product (or the equivalent of 17 thousandth of one penny per person) to retrieve your "national treasure".
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