In the 1911 case of The Abby Dodge, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a dispute over salvage rights. The Abby Dodge was an American schooner that had been abandoned by its crew during a storm off the coast of Massachusetts and later salvaged by another vessel, The Canadian Government Steamer Lady Laurier. When the owners of The Abby Dodge attempted to reclaim their ship without paying for salvage services, they were sued by Canada's Department of Marine and Fisheries who claimed ownership under maritime law principles which state that property abandoned at sea can be claimed by those who find it. However, in this case, because both vessels involved were from countries sharing borders with international waters (U.S.A and Canada), there was ambiguity about jurisdictional boundaries. The court held that despite being found in international waters, since no "foreign" entity or individual had taken possession of it before recovery efforts began - as would have been required to establish true abandonment - title remained with original owner throughout ordeal; thus making them liable for reasonable compensation towards salvagers but not losing ownership completely.

In the dissenting opinion for The Abby Dodge case, it was argued that the majority's decision to hold a vessel liable for damages caused by ice she had cut loose was incorrect. The dissenting justices believed that there should be no liability unless negligence could be proven. They contended that when a ship cuts through ice in order to navigate waters, it is not an act of negligence but rather one of necessity and thus does not warrant punishment if damage occurs as a result. Furthermore, they asserted that holding vessels responsible for such damages would set a dangerous precedent and potentially hinder maritime commerce due to fear of legal repercussions from unavoidable actions taken during navigation. Therefore, they disagreed with the majority's ruling which held The Abby Dodge accountable for damages incurred by another vessel hit by floating ice she had previously cut loose.