Does auctioning off dried blood raise any privacy issues? (updated – auction cancelled)

Apart from the creepy factor, is there really anything illegal about selling a vial with the dried blood of a dead President?

In November 2009, we saw a similar situation where the blood and brain material from Benito Mussolini were reportedly on sale on eBay. In that case, the auction site pulled the auction, stating that its policy prohibited the sale of body parts.

So far, PFC Auctions, the Guernsey auction house involved in this sale, have not pulled the listing. As of the time of this blog entry posting, four people have bid on it.

What does EU/U.K. law have to say about this, if anything? Or is this just one of those distasteful but legal situations?

Update of May 24: The auction has been cancelled and the vial is being donated to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in California.

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