[Openstreetmap] Borough boundary

Lester Caine lester at lsces.co.uk
Mon Oct 3 14:09:43 BST 2005


SteveC wrote:

> I've spoken to two lawyers about the legality of that, and the Royal
> Mail feeling they own any postcode database. Neither of them thought
> it'd be likely they would win.

This is a very grey area, but the Royal Mail *DO* acknowledge that they 
can have no control over databases of address information that USE 
postcodes where that information HAS been entered independently! In my 
own case, the data is taken from existing customer information and there 
is no requirement that licence fees have to be paid to Royal Mail. At 
least that is what I am told every time I have to prove it to the 
customer. I think the view is that postcode is similar to town and 
county names - no one 'owns' them?

The idea of licensing THEIR copies of that data covers the cost of 
maintaining the full PAF file updates, with all the valid postal 
addresses, and if you cancel your licence and maintain the data 
yourself, there is no requirement to delete the data you have already 
paid for! At least again THAT is what I have been told.

The 'RAW' postcodes are NOT something that they - apparently - CAN 
insist on control of. But I would still like to see a proper statement 
from Royal Mail, as while I have asked about this several times I never 
get past the Customer Service Desk - since there is nothing they can 
sell me ;)

-- 
Lester Caine
-----------------------------
L.S.Caine Electronic Services
Treasurer - Firebird Foundation Inc.




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