[Talk-us] USGS has no problem using information from copyrighted maps
First, I'm not trying to start an argument or even a civilized discussion about our policies in this matter. I just found this interesting. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1196597 is "Rosslyn Station", a former railway station in Pennsylvania. The source cited for the feature is a map created by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/Maps/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Allegheny_1976_Sheet_1.pdf This map, from which USGS got the name and location, is labeled "Copyright 1977 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". (Yes, our GNIS import includes this feature.) The USGS doesn't seem to consider this information copyrightable: http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/1100/1100-6.html prescribes a notice to appear "when copyrighted materials are used in an information product", which I don't see with the GNIS, and http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/metadata.htm#getacopy.0 says that there are no access or use constraints. ___ Talk-us mailing list Talk-us@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us
Re: [Talk-us] USGS has no problem using information from copyrighted maps
It will probably take some digging to find out the full story, and it will probably differ from state to state. But it seems that around 1995-2005 time range federal, state and local governments started to share GIS data. As they did this they also changed their copyright and access policies due to the sharing. To make matters worse, very few clearly state any copyright or restrictions, even though there is a specific field in the meta-data. While I do not know for sure, my guess is that the original map was indeed copyrighted, but at a later date the map, or data was shared with other agencies and the result was no longer copyrighted. It would be really nice to have the copyright/usability status of various data sets published by the various agencies. Dale On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 7:18 AM, Nathan Edgars II wrote: > First, I'm not trying to start an argument or even a civilized > discussion about our policies in this matter. I just found this > interesting. > > http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1196597 > is "Rosslyn Station", a former railway station in Pennsylvania. The > source cited for the feature is a map created by the Pennsylvania > Department of Transportation: > > ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/Maps/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Allegheny_1976_Sheet_1.pdf > This map, from which USGS got the name and location, is labeled > "Copyright 1977 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". (Yes, our GNIS import > includes this feature.) The USGS doesn't seem to consider this > information copyrightable: > http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/1100/1100-6.html prescribes a notice > to appear "when copyrighted materials are used in an information > product", which I don't see with the GNIS, and > http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/metadata.htm#getacopy.0 says that > there are no access or use constraints. > > ___ > Talk-us mailing list > Talk-us@openstreetmap.org > http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us > ___ Talk-us mailing list Talk-us@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us
Re: [Talk-us] USGS has no problem using information from copyrighted maps
For reference, http://www.fgdc.gov/library/factsheets/documents/datashare.pdf There are exceptions, but from what I have seen this policy seems to be the basis of the government opening up GIS data. Dale On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Dale Puch wrote: > It will probably take some digging to find out the full story, and it will > probably differ from state to state. But it seems that around 1995-2005 > time range federal, state and local governments started to share GIS data. > As they did this they also changed their copyright and access policies due > to the sharing. > > To make matters worse, very few clearly state any copyright or > restrictions, even though there is a specific field in the meta-data. > > While I do not know for sure, my guess is that the original map was indeed > copyrighted, but at a later date the map, or data was shared with other > agencies and the result was no longer copyrighted. > > It would be really nice to have the copyright/usability status of various > data sets published by the various agencies. > > Dale > > > On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 7:18 AM, Nathan Edgars II wrote: > >> First, I'm not trying to start an argument or even a civilized >> discussion about our policies in this matter. I just found this >> interesting. >> >> http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1196597 >> is "Rosslyn Station", a former railway station in Pennsylvania. The >> source cited for the feature is a map created by the Pennsylvania >> Department of Transportation: >> >> ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/Maps/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Allegheny_1976_Sheet_1.pdf >> This map, from which USGS got the name and location, is labeled >> "Copyright 1977 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". (Yes, our GNIS import >> includes this feature.) The USGS doesn't seem to consider this >> information copyrightable: >> http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/1100/1100-6.html prescribes a notice >> to appear "when copyrighted materials are used in an information >> product", which I don't see with the GNIS, and >> http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/metadata.htm#getacopy.0 says that >> there are no access or use constraints. >> >> ___ >> Talk-us mailing list >> Talk-us@openstreetmap.org >> http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us >> > -- Dale Puch ___ Talk-us mailing list Talk-us@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us
