Template:Reference copyright warning

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It is vital that the OSM database does not infringe the Intellectual Property(IP) or Copyright of other organisations. The following guidelines are particularly relevant to mapping in the United Kingdom:

  • Since April 1st 2010 the Ordnance Survey has started to provide some data that you may use in OSM. This is documented on the Ordnance Survey Opendata page. With this exception (and out-of-copyright OS maps published 50+ years ago), all Ordnance Survey work is crown copyrighted and must not be copied from.
  • You may however use the maps as a research tool. For example, you may use an OS map to find a public bridleway but before entering it into OSM you must complete a ground survey to confirm it's existence and route.
  • Do not copy access provisions (e.g., public footpath, bridleway etc) from an OS or other copyrighted map. If for instance, you complete a ground survey and find that a track is marked as bridleway at one end but footpath at another (these sorts of things do happen!) tag as a public footpath, but add a fixme tag.