[OSM-talk] Rights of Way

[David Groom]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nick Whitelegg" <Nick.Whitelegg at solent.ac.uk>
To: "Andy Armstrong" <andy at hexten.net>
Cc: <talk at openstreetmap.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] Rights of Way


> >To:    Nick Whitelegg <Nick.Whitelegg at solent.ac.uk>
>>cc:    talk at openstreetmap.org
>>Subject:       Re: [OSM-talk] Rights of Way
>
>>On 28 Jun 2006, at 15:44, Nick Whitelegg wrote:
>>> West Sussex appears to indicate that the rights of way info is in the
>>> public domain, suggesting, perhaps (IANAL) that the copyright
>>> relates to
>>> the underlying OS mapping and possibly the physical map, not the
>>> actual
>>> information:
>>>
>>> http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ccm/content/environment/the-west-
>>> sussex-countryside/public-rights-of-way/interactive-maps.en
>
>>Might that need that they don't need to be surveyed at all? If the
>>RoW info is in the public domain I wonder where we might get the data
>>from?
>
> I don't think it's in the public domain in electronic form though. I think
> (IANAL again, my own interpretation of their statement) what West Sussex
> mean is that you can go to the council offices, look up the status of a
> path (footpath, bridleway etc), and then use the status information
> yourself (e.g. in OSM) without violating copyright - but I believe it's
> only in printed form.
>
> Nick
>

That was my understanding as well, and additionally I thought it is only the 
status which is public domain, as that has been derived by the council, it 
is not the route, as that has been obtained from the OS map.  Which also 
means we probably cant take the road names from the Definitive maps either, 
whcih is a real shame for some country roads which don't have adequate 
signage.

David