OS map data and orienteering maps

[JennyJ]

Many new sprint maps are now being produced using OS map data either as a base, or imported directly into OCAD. I was wondering if anyone has a clearer idea than me what the rules are on the use of this kind of data for the production of O maps?

BOF has an OS copyright license for orienteering maps, but does this cover the use of the data itself in the mapping process? As a student I have access to the data via Edina Digimap, but there it states that it is strictly for non commercial purposes. To buy the data is prohibitively expensive. Some councils seem to have granted the use of the data for the mapping of their city, but otherwise it seems to be a bit of a gray area.

How have other people gained access to or employed the data in their work? Does the production of an orienteering map count as a commercial use of the data? Are there possible repercussions for using this data without the necessary permission? If anyone has any answers to these questions I would very much like to hear from you!

Oli Johnson (logged in as Jenny - is there a problem with the nopesport registration system? I can't seem to get sent a confirmation email)

[Spookster]

Oli,

I don't know the answer to your question about OS data, but it reminded me about OpenStreetMap, which provides free map data, exactly because of the problem with accessing commercial map data cost effectively.

OpenStreetMap creates and provides free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them. The project was started because most maps you think of as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive or unexpected ways.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Main_Page

[Scott]

See here - my understanding is that so long as you register the map with British Orienteering as using OS data, you should be fine. The only slightly problematic area is with putting maps on the internet, including uploading maps to RouteGadget (each separate RG installation requires its own OS licence, though the whole of http://www.routegadget.co.uk counts as a single installation for this purpose).

[Scott]

Hmm, just realised that I didn't quite answer your question. My interpretation would be that "Ordnance Survey material" include OS data no matter how you obtain it - I've certainly used Digimap before, but I'm not sure how else you would get hold of it. What do Real Mappers do?

[Kitch]

Oli,

I think Mark Nixon grappled with this one for his Edinburgh City Centre map

[swat]

Last year I bought a 1:10,000 Landplan file from the OS, which was delivered as a high resolution TIF file which one of club mappers then used as a base to draw an OCAD orienteering map. It covered a 4.5k x 2.5k rectangular area and the cost was just under 60 quid which didn't seem too high to me compared with the other costs of mapping.

I've got a copy of the OS licence agreement that came with it, but I'm no lawyer so I'm not clear what it all means! I figure if we paid for the data then used it for a BOF registered map we must be ok.

[Oli]

Thanks for the responses. The type of base map I'm looking at is Land-Line plus which is available as an NTF file - this can be converted and imported directly into OCAD as digital data. This is much more expensive to buy than a Landplan base map, but it is also much more useful for sprint mapping - it saves all the time consuming drawing of complex outlines and ensures that the map will be close to perfect. This data has been used for quite a few recent maps, and I was wondering what sources people have used for the data, eg. local councils, etc.

The OpenStreetMap project is certainly a positive development and will hopefully put pressure on the OS to make their maps more accessible. But for use as a base map it is still quite limited - the mapping style is quite simplified.

My concern is that the club's use of the map will be covered by the BOF OS license, but the mapper's use of the data will not be, leaving the mapper open to potential copyright issues.

[seabird]

The OS website says that we are within a few months of Land-Line Plus being withdrawn, and only existing customers can continue to access the very costly service.

Has anyone any experience of using its successor, OS MasterMap Topography Layer, including cost issues. I would imagine the costs are as prohibitive as Land-Line Plus, but at a brief glance I could not locate them.

We are currently trying to draw 2 urban sprint maps using Landplan at 1:10000 as a base and it certainly has its limitations.

[tokoloshe]

Overlay screen prints from Google Earth or similar onto the OS as a base to ensure that they remain to scale and are aligned correctly. The bigger the scale the better down to about 1 : 1500 but that does mean lots of small images to make into a mosaic.

The current images from Google would almost enable you to draw the whole of a street map in the living room, assuming no changes since the photos were done - 2003 ?