On 17/09/09 17:53, antonys wrote: > I'm aware that there have been several postings on this kind of question, but > I would appreciate some advice/guidance if possible. I'm engaged in a > discussion with my local authority, from whom I am trying to get a digital > version of the Public Rights of Way map (PROW) for use on OSM. They have > refused, on the basis that there are known errors in the data, and "There > are risks for a local authority in releasing erroneous prow data. People or > bodies might make decisions on the basis of erroneous information and > subsequently be entitled to compensation."
Do you have any reason to believe that, even if you could get them to give you this, it would be unencumbered and suitable for us to use? My guess would be that it has almost certainly been derived from Ordnance Survey data in some way which would render it unusable. > Is this reasonable, especially bearing in mind that their own paper version > of the 'definitive map', which is the only version accessible to the public, > dates from 1956? My argument is that they could release the current > (digital) version for OSM use, and instantly (or as soon as the data was > uploaded/traced), provide the public with a better version, at almost zero > cost. If the definitive map is really still based on a 1956 OS map then that actually becomes quite interesting because such a map must, by definition, now be out of copyright... > I am pursuing this through my local councillor, and also considering an FOI > request, but would be interested to hear of any similar work on UK PROW > issues, and in particular of any success stories or legal opinion on the > liability issue one way or another. Bear in mind that even if you get it with an FOI request that does not give you permission to copy or distribute it to anybody else - copyright and database rights still apply in the normal way to information obtained via FOIA unless explicitly waived. Tom -- Tom Hughes (t...@compton.nu) http://www.compton.nu/ _______________________________________________ legal-talk mailing list legal-talk@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/legal-talk
