At the present moment, there is no clear verdict on who is the culprit in a case of misuse of geospatial data- the creator, the seller or just the perpetrator. This is just one of the facets where geospatial law needs explanation and elaboration. The need for laws governing geospatial data and technology encompassing privacy, liability and IPR along with national and global security has been voiced for quite some years. Verdict on litigation involving geospatial is at the present moment based on how informed the 'Lordship' is. The public interest litigation against Google Maps filed in context with the Mumbai terror attacks will probably sway with the public opinion at that moment in time. Does a consensus opinion count? and is consensus in such matters the right way to take decisions? OGC has finally constituted the much needed committee on spatial law and none other than Kevin Pomfret to head it. Soon we need not ask "How on Earth Terrestrial Laws Can Protect Geospatial Data"...

In the new acquisitions and contracts section of this week's news headlines, it was all about partnerships and collaborative work rather than takeovers. A few in the the geospatial industry seem to have taken heed to Prof. C K Prahlad's prophetic words during Map World Forum. Rather than grab-gobble it is more of giving each other a hand and synergistically approach a rather subdued market - setting a trend towards collaborative growth rather than organic or inorganic...