Copyright Laws On Maps

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[xcandyman]

Is there a legislation regarding reproducing maps. For example if someone were to trace a ordinance survey map in the UK. Is this deemed as copyright infringement or can it be deemed as artistic license.

Thanks

Steve

[chiyo]

artistic licence if you are using it in a satirical/review work and not for the purpose it was intended, and that your derivative work can not in any way "replace" the original, and subject to any extra criteria the publisher may state.

Basically, if you are just tracing it to avoid licencing fees, it will be cheaper to pay the licence fees and come to some arrangment with the owner of the copyright.

cartography is an expensive science, and publishers must protect their investment. Making simple "mistakes" in a map in various places can often provide good evidence to a copyright holder that their work has been copied.

[martinibuster]

There's a website out there that licenses maps. I can't remember their name, though.