Comments on: Write to your MP! http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/ The blog for Ernest Marples' Postcodes Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:54:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Royal Fail postcodes | Think Law http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-808 Royal Fail postcodes | Think Law Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:35:36 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-808 [...] the meantime why not write to your MP to complain about Royal [...] [...] the meantime why not write to your MP to complain about Royal [...]

]]> By: Luke Redpath http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-342 Luke Redpath Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:35:49 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-342 I recently received a reply from my local MP, David Burrowes (Con) who unfortunately felt unable to support the EDM. You can view my thoughts and his response on my blog: http://lukeredpath.co.uk/blog/postcodes-for-the-public-good-not-for-profit.html I recently received a reply from my local MP, David Burrowes (Con) who unfortunately felt unable to support the EDM. You can view my thoughts and his response on my blog:

http://lukeredpath.co.uk/blog/postcodes-for-the-public-good-not-for-profit.html

]]> By: Shane McCracken http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-97 Shane McCracken Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:35:51 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-97 An earlier petition to No.10 resulted in a brush-off to Postcomm. The person to complain to at Postcomm is Philip Groves. His email is firstname.lastname@psc.gov.uk The key paragraphs in No.10's response are: It would be very time-consuming and costly for anyone to try to replicate the list, so Royal Mail licenses PAF data, for a fee, allowing others to use it. Under Section 116 of the Postal Services Act 2000, Royal Mail must maintain the PAF and make it available to any person who wishes to use it on “such terms as are reasonable”. This requirement is replicated as a condition of Royal Mail’s licence. Provision exists for Royal Mail to recover a reasonable charge for the supply of PAF. However it must not impose any term or condition other than reasonable restrictions to safeguard its intellectual property rights (IPR), and to ensure that the PAF and its updates are used to support effective addressing. http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page20993 It is my assertion that a fee of £3,750 is not reasonable and that Postcomm should require RM to offer the data at a price that reflects the cost of supplying the data and not the market cost nor to reflect the cost of acquiring the data. An earlier petition to No.10 resulted in a brush-off to Postcomm. The person to complain to at Postcomm is Philip Groves. His email is firstname.lastname@psc.gov.uk

The key paragraphs in No.10’s response are:

It would be very time-consuming and costly for anyone to try to replicate the list, so Royal Mail licenses PAF data, for a fee, allowing others to use it. Under Section 116 of the Postal Services Act 2000, Royal Mail must maintain the PAF and make it available to any person who wishes to use it on “such terms as are reasonable”. This requirement is replicated as a condition of Royal Mail’s licence.

Provision exists for Royal Mail to recover a reasonable charge for the supply of PAF. However it must not impose any term or condition other than reasonable restrictions to safeguard its intellectual property rights (IPR), and to ensure that the PAF and its updates are used to support effective addressing.

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page20993

It is my assertion that a fee of £3,750 is not reasonable and that Postcomm should require RM to offer the data at a price that reflects the cost of supplying the data and not the market cost nor to reflect the cost of acquiring the data.

]]> By: Harry http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Harry Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:22:19 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-96 Eeek -- Google maps are absolutely not public domain. Google use lots of OS data so the derived data licence still taints everything. You should switch to an OpenStreetMap map asap! Eeek — Google maps are absolutely not public domain. Google use lots of OS data so the derived data licence still taints everything. You should switch to an OpenStreetMap map asap!

]]> By: Nick Bird http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Nick Bird Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:03:31 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-95 I'll go one better - here is a web site my company has developed which allows a user to use a GOOGLE MAP (public domain) to enter their own postcode (which they already know) to get an approximate map. They can then drag the pin around until it's on THEIR property and the site will provide links to the major online mapping services. I'm taking this one step further in support of your campaign - a data dump of the postcodes and the latitudes and longitudes COLLECTED BY OUR USERS is available for free to anyone who wants it. If my hunch is correct then I think that this approach gives Royal Mail a kicking since the data is not derived from their PAF file but is submitted by users using a public resource. I'll put the full weight of my company being supporting this and if they want to sue me as well then I'll see them in court. Good luck - we can make a difference if we fight this hard enough. Nick Bird. Managing Director. Ladybird Internet Ltd I’ll go one better – here is a web site my company has developed which allows a user to use a GOOGLE MAP (public domain) to enter their own postcode (which they already know) to get an approximate map. They can then drag the pin around until it’s on THEIR property and the site will provide links to the major online mapping services.

I’m taking this one step further in support of your campaign – a data dump of the postcodes and the latitudes and longitudes COLLECTED BY OUR USERS is available for free to anyone who wants it.

If my hunch is correct then I think that this approach gives Royal Mail a kicking since the data is not derived from their PAF file but is submitted by users using a public resource. I’ll put the full weight of my company being supporting this and if they want to sue me as well then I’ll see them in court.

Good luck – we can make a difference if we fight this hard enough.

Nick Bird. Managing Director. Ladybird Internet Ltd

]]> By: Royal Fail postcodes « GeekLawyer's Blog http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Royal Fail postcodes « GeekLawyer's Blog Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:58:26 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-76 [...] the mean­time why not write to your MP to com­plain about [...] [...] the mean­time why not write to your MP to com­plain about [...]

]]> By: Duncan Sample http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Duncan Sample Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:38:40 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-73 I've just written a blog post requesting people to sign the petition and write to their MP (and of course I've done those things myself). I hope you get this all sorted, and I hope the Guardian are doing what they can to help too, since this is moving towards their final goal. I’ve just written a blog post requesting people to sign the petition and write to their MP (and of course I’ve done those things myself). I hope you get this all sorted, and I hope the Guardian are doing what they can to help too, since this is moving towards their final goal.

]]> By: Tom Adams (holizz) 's status on Tuesday, 13-Oct-09 10:04:37 UTC - Identi.ca http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Tom Adams (holizz) 's status on Tuesday, 13-Oct-09 10:04:37 UTC - Identi.ca Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:04:38 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-70 [...] I wrote to my MP, urging him to sign EDM 2000 (RE Ernest Marples / postcodes). http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/ [...] [...] I wrote to my MP, urging him to sign EDM 2000 (RE Ernest Marples / postcodes). http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/ [...]

]]> By: Tweets that mention The Ernest Marples Blog › Write to your MP! -- Topsy.com http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2009/10/write-to-your-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Tweets that mention The Ernest Marples Blog › Write to your MP! -- Topsy.com Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:26:30 +0000 http://ernestmarples.com/blog/?p=58#comment-69 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Harry Metcalfe, Dafydd Vaughan and Planbot. Planbot said: MP @tom_watson has tabled an early day motion for MPs to sign re: postcodes. Please ask your MP to sign it http://is.gd/4gZNx [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Harry Metcalfe, Dafydd Vaughan and Planbot. Planbot said: MP @tom_watson has tabled an early day motion for MPs to sign re: postcodes. Please ask your MP to sign it http://is.gd/4gZNx [...]

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