[Openstreetmap] Buying Ikonos data

[Lester Caine]

Andy Armstrong wrote:

> On 7 Feb 2005, at 01:45, Saul Albert wrote:
> 
>> THEN we can start to build a significant political attack on closed 
>> geodata,
>> the inspire directive etc.. becase we'll have an ace in the hole (is 
>> that the
>> phrase..?) basically, we'll be saying to the OS &c. sort us out, or 
>> we'll sort
>> ourselves out, and you'll be sorted out of business in the process. 
> 
> A significant problem with getting movement from the OS is that many of 
> their customers actually base their business model on reselling data 
> they licence from OS. Effectively they give their software away FoC and 
> make their profit on sales of map data. That's not to say it can't 
> change - just a bit of context about problems that will arise.

Given the amount of detail contained in the OS data, it is 
understandable that managing it is a chargeable item. However older maps 
are now out of copyright, and can be used to create a 'free' set of 
data, holes in which can be plugged using the various online resources.

We possibly should be able to get some level of OS data free, and having 
to pay council tax to allow councils to get hold of that data which has 
been partly paid for by income tax anyway seems totally absurd. But a 
free alternative NOT based on OS data would be much more flexible, and 
easier to develop without restrictions.

For my own part I've started an archive on what data we do have freely 
available
http://home.lsces.co.uk/ibWebAdmin_0_98/FirebirdFederationDataArchive.html
This is intended to be a world wide resource, and mapping data forms an 
essential adjunct to it ;)
I am currently looking to tidy up holes in the location list I have in 
my copy of the full UK postcode table, and then that will be added ( 
when I find some free time ;) )

-- 
Lester Caine
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L.S.Caine Electronic Services