[Openstreetmap] Re: [Geowanking] freeing the postcode database

[David Cantrell]

On Mon, Aug 08, 2005 at 11:59:10PM +0100, Saul Albert wrote:

> This has been a sticking point for ages.. Some initial pointers from
> various conversations on the issue:
> - Is it the postcode/geocode pair that's crown copyright, or the use of
>   the codes themselves? Is there any advice on this that you've had that
>   indicates that this approach would actually work legally?

What a surprise, it's degenerating into lawyer-wanking.  Same happened
when I tried to do the same thing a year and a bit ago.

> - There are 1.6 million postcodes containing about 24 million addresses.
>   That's a lot. Might it be possible to reverse-engineer how the hell
>   their alphanumeric code assignment works? Can anyone see any logic to it?
>   Can it be generalised somehow? 

There is some logic to it, but not much.  It can't be
reverse-engineered because at the higher levels of detail there is no
logic to it.

-- 
David Cantrell | Official London Perl Mongers Bad Influence

    "There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza."
    "WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THERE IS A HOLE IN YOUR BUCKET?"