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Where does the IPR on a map or spatial data end? Does value addition to a map change its ownership? Is state generated spatial data public property?. These, and a lot many questions will surface from the legal battle between Singapore Land Authority and Virtual Map. Virtual Map, which operates streetdirectory.com, argued in court last week that it developed its own framework to create its maps, but the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) maintained that Virtual Map had copied those created by SLA. Last August, the court had ruled in favour of SLA, prompting Virtual Map to file an appeal.
Virtual Map said it may have used the Singapore Land Authority's maps, but only for the purpose of driving around Singapore to collect its own data using global positioning system (GPS). Using that data, Virtual Map said it then developed its own framework or backbone to create its maps. To that, the Singapore Land Authority was quick to disagree. SLA's lawyer, Dedar Singh Gill, noted that if Virtual Map did not copy SLA's framework, Virtual Map would not have been able to produce the maps in the first place. Mr Gill added that this is why all the phantom features, planted on SLA's map to catch copiers, also showed up on streetdirectory.com.
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The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has published a new report defining fundamental geospatial datasets for Africa. The report is the first attempt to provide a continental common definition of what constitutes a minimally necessary core of geospatial data and information products to which policy makers can add other sectoral datasets to ensure geographic consistency in making decisions on socio-economic development issues.
The report comes following an exhaustive literature review and widespread consultations with other institutions on the continent, details of which were compiled by EIS-Africa and the South African Human Sciences Research Council. It proposes the following definition:
“Fundamental data sets are the minimum primary sets of data that can not be derived from other data sets, and that are required to spatially represent phenomena, objects or themes, important for the realization of economic, social and environmental benefits consistently across Africa at the local, national, subregional and regional levels.”
Based on this definition, the report goes on to identify ten fundamental data themes, which are geodetic control network, imagery, hypsography, hydrography, boundaries, geographic names, land management units, transportation, utilities and services, and natural environments.
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Nano assembly line...
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Audiocast |
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News Cast
By Hrishikesh
Samant
This News Cast is 22.00 minutes long and contains news
and discussions on the happenings in the geospatial domain.
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Dr.
Hrishikesh Samant