[Talk-us] USGS has no problem using information from copyrighted maps

[Nathan Edgars II]

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.