Nicely worded letter David. Cheers
Andy >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:talk-gb- >[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Earl >Sent: 11 November 2009 12:27 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [Talk-GB] Adding some additional building around the Angel >areaof London? > >Rather than going round in circles speculating over the position of the >Underground roundel, I've now sent off a message asking: > >--------------- >To: [email protected] >Subj: Roundel logo on map > >Dear Saskia, > >I'm writing to ask you about the use of the London Underground roundel >logo to indicate tube station positions on a map produced for >OpenStreetMap. We know that this is copyrighted and trademarked and it >is important for the aims of our project that we don't infringe other >people's intellectual property. > >OpenStreetMap (www.openstreetmap.org) is an initiative to create maps >from scratch free of the restrictions normally associated with maps. It >is in effect a "wikipedia for maps". > >There are two aspects to this: firstly the map data is stored in a >database in an encoded form, and that is OpenStreetMaps primary asset, >and is not an issue here; secondly, any number of different renderings >of style and content can be produced from that data, a key example being >the map that you see by default on the OpenStreetMap web site (we know >this internally as the "Mapnik rendering"). > >We have been discussing on our mailing lists recently about how to >represent metro stations. At present Mapnik uses a generic off-blue >square (for example, Chancery lane, here: http://osm.org/go/euu4m6X7y- >). This applies throughout the world. However, we'd like to customize >this for particular metro systems, and in London that should obviously >be the London Underground red and blue roundel instead of the blue square. > >So my questions are: > >1. Is this something we can just do, or do we need permission to use the >symbol? > >2. Are you able to give permission for this use? > >3. Would using it require an acknowledgement? (This might be impractical >on the map itself, given the number of metro systems in the world, let >alone the number of other potentially customizable logos for shops, >hotels etc, but might be possible on a separately linked page). > >Things to bear in mind: > >(a) our maps are licensed CCbySA >(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), that is, in essence, >anyone can reproduce them free of charge providing the same restrictions >are applied to their copy ("share alike"), and freely available for >commercial and non-commercial uses. > >(b) there is no question of storing the logo in the data itself, merely >drawing it on a pictorial representation of the data; that would involve >storing a copy in or with the software that generates the rendering >(which I think could be accompanied by acknowledgement/restriction/ >copyright/trademark information as appropriate) > >(c) this is a service to map consumers: it must surely be of benefit to >TfL that map users can identify Underground stations on maps. > >(d) maps may be reproduced on paper and on other websites, either by >copying, or deep linking to the original > >(e) other renderings styles and software may want to do the same thing. > >(f) we cannot enter into a license agreement that would compromise the >ability of people to use and reproduce the maps freely, though in a >license agreement that permits the use we need may be possible. We'd >much prefer a simple permission if possible though. > >(g) I'm just enquiring on behalf of our mailing list users at present. >If something more formal is needed, we'd have to decide how to manage that. > >(h) it is unlikely we could justify paying for this, especially in view >of the precedent it might set for the huge range of other possible >features on the map. I imagine that e.g. Starbucks would be more than >happy for us to use their logo to show their store locations on the map >were we to ask them, as essentially free advertising, and I do hope TfL >might be able to take that position also. > >Many thanks, >David Earl > > >_______________________________________________ >Talk-GB mailing list >[email protected] >http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-gb _______________________________________________ Talk-GB mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-gb
