On 7 Oct 2009, at 22:26, [email protected] wrote: > > > -original message- > Subject: Re: [mySociety:public] Ernest Marples postcode database > taken down > From: Francis Davey <[email protected]> > Date: 07/10/2009 9:35 pm > > Yes, there is no such thing as "intellectual copyright". I think they > mean "intellectual property". >
And, there's not really any such thing as "intellectual property", either. There are laws regarding copyright, patents and trademarks, but they are quite disparate categories. In the case of postcodes, none of these laws are, I think, relevant. What are relevant are the terms of licenses that apply, and that's contract law. You can't copyright facts about the world, even if you defined those facts. Copyright only applies to a particular presentation of those facts. Any relevant patents will be expired by now. And clearly trademarks aren't relevant either. > Francis > > It's like copyright, but with coffee, red wine and French women, > right? > > 2009/10/7 paul perrin <[email protected]>: >> I have a reply... (see below) (not sure what 'intellectual copyright' >> means...). >> I am happy to not have a post code, but other members of my family >> may not >> be... So needs a bit of consideration... I'm going to ask what the >> 'consideration' consists of... >> Paul /)/+) >> --- >> Dear Paul >> >> The postcode was devised by Royal Mail, for Royal Mail's use. We >> own the >> intellectual copyright to all postcodes, therefore we are entitled >> to sell >> this information as we see fit. >> >> If we remove your property from the Postal Address File (PAF) this >> could >> impact postal deliveries (not just from Royal Mail but other couriers >> also). In addition to this because financial institutions such as >> banks, >> credit reference agencies and insurance companies etc drawn their >> information from PAF this could also impact your ability to obtain >> certain >> goods and services. >> >> Under the Universal Service Obligation if we receive a piece of >> mail we >> MUST deliver it to the address stated on the envelope unless we are >> physically unable to. >> >> If you still wish to remove your property from PAF please send your >> address >> to us for consideration of removal. >> >> 2009/10/6 paul perrin <[email protected]> >>> >>> Just sent the following ot the post office. >>> Hi I object to royal mail making a profit from my post code. So I >>> would >>> like information on boycotting all royal mail services - including >>> letter/parcel delivery to a specific person at a specific address. >>> Also, how >>> would I go about having my property removed from the PAF. >>> >>> So I'll shut up for now :-) >>> Paul /)/+) >>> >>> 2009/10/6 paul perrin <[email protected]> >>>> >>>> Your view is utopian - if postcodes were to be freed then it >>>> would almost >>>> certainly have happened by now... wishing it were different >>>> doesn't cause >>>> change. >>>> If there were new codes and if royal mail decide not to recognise >>>> them, >>>> then you could use an alternative delivery service that does... >>>> Paul /)/+) >>>> 2009/10/6 Paul Waring <[email protected]> >>>>> >>>>> paul perrin wrote: >>>>>> For some time I have thought that the public should boycott post >>>>>> codes... develop an open source alternative and use that... >>>>> >>>>> How can you boycott postcodes? If you don't put postcodes on >>>>> your mail >>>>> there's an increased chance that it will be delayed or lost in the >>>>> sorting offices of the Royal Mail. >>>>> >>>>>> Couldn't postcodes be extracted from a public source via an >>>>>> freedom of >>>>>> information request? >>>>> >>>>> How would that help? It's not a problem of getting at the data >>>>> (you >>>>> could just buy a copy of the PAF from the Royal Mail if you really >>>>> wanted to), it's being able to use it. Just because you get some >>>>> information via FoI, it doesn't mean that you can use it however >>>>> you >>>>> want. >>>>> >>>>>> It can't be difficult - and if the switch over make is >>>>>> difficult for >>>>>> the >>>>>> authorities, that is their look out... should have listened >>>>>> earlier. >>>>> >>>>> If the switch over is made difficult for the authorities then they >>>>> simple won't bother doing it. As Royal Mail probably sorts and >>>>> delivers >>>>> the majority of your mail I think they have the upper hand in >>>>> enforcing >>>>> a system for identifying addresses. :) >>>>> >>>>> Besides, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with postcodes as a >>>>> concept, the only issue is that the data (more specifically the >>>>> mapping >>>>> from a location to a postcode and back again) is not freely >>>>> available >>>>> for anyone to use. It would be much better to see the data made >>>>> available rather than invent an entirely new and unsupported >>>>> system to >>>>> do the same thing. >>>>> >>>>> Paul >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Paul Waring >>>>> http://www.pwaring.com >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Mailing list [email protected] >>>>> Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: >>>>> >>>>> https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public >>>> >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mailing list [email protected] >> Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: >> https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public >> > > > > -- > Francis Davey > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list [email protected] > Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public > > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list [email protected] > Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public -- Ian Eiloart _______________________________________________ Mailing list [email protected] Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public
