[Openstreetmap] Norwegian maps might be releases for free to the public

Petter Reinholdtsen pere at hungry.com
Wed Jun 29 15:31:31 BST 2005


The Norwegian department of Modernisation plan to release public data
for free.  <URL:http://www.digi.no/php/art.php?id=218063>.  Quick
translation of the start:

  Confronts the big players

  Much public data will be free
  =============================
  By Einar Ryvarden

  (27.06.2005) - The IT companies get a yes - most of the content and
  data financed by the public will be available without cost, but NRK
  (Norwegian Broadcasting Company) and the mapping authorities are
  probably not smiling.

  The principle comes from the USA: If the public contribued with
  money, the product should be freely available (gratis).  This is
  currently practiced very differently from department to department
  and other public organizations, something minister of modernisation,
  Morten A. Meyer want to clean up.

  [...]

This is of course really bad news for OpenStreetmap in Norway, as the
need for the project might disappear.  And it is great news for the
free map comunities in Norway. :)

I guess someone should send a statement to the norwegian press
expressing the support for this move.  I've been in the press the last
two days on other topics, so I do not want to do it myself.




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