maps and copyright

[Gromit]

I need to produce a series of maps to venues in a dozen towns. I will draw the maps in Adobe Illustrator. If I use an existing map (say AtoZ or OS) as my starting source, is that an infringement of copyright even though I'm redrawing and my map will look nothing like theirs.
If I took say a Google satellite map as my source for the roads, would that be OK or is that just the same.
Also, I have heard that map companies sometimes deliberatly introduce errors (Misspelling a street name) so as to catch copiers.
If the answer to all this is yes, how do I make a map legally?

[Lillabet]

It would infringe copyright and multimap map will have copyright regulations too. E.g. on the number of copies you can make.

I would suggest phoning Ordnance Survey and speaking to their copyright people. You can find out for sure then.

They're government owned rather than commercial so likely to be the cheapest option. It may even be free.

[scubadiver]

Apparently, AtoZ put a number of "ghost streets" into their maps - streets that don't exist, but show them if their maps have been used as a basis for other maps & to protect their copyright

[Narolines]

Are you sure about that, scuba? You might be right, but it sounds a bit apocryphal to me......

[scubadiver]

The BBC2 programme "The Mapman", covered it about three weeks ago. They went into the history of A to Z maps and looked at the London one as an example.

On the London A to Z, the company that owns the copyright & produces it, admitted to there being "around 100" ghost streets on the London map alone. As well as other things, they are named after the surnames of the people who work for their company.

[Drusilla]

Hi Scuba. It sounds a great way to cover mistakes, or am I extremely cynical. It reminds me of Captain Mainwaring in 'Dad's Army'.
'I'm glad you spotted that, Wilson. Just keeping you on your toes.'
Interesting though. Thanks, I enjoyed that.

[copippin]

Hi gromit,I have just been into Multimap.com and they give you the option to print sections of aerial maps,I can only assume that you be offered a similar option with street maps etc. I haven't actually triedit though.If a breach of copyright does exist then I am guilty of such a breach,but as I say,they do give the option to print .

[Buenchico]

You'll definitely be breaching copyright if you base your map on anything other than your own survey of the area. You might find, however, that Ordnance Survey will grant you a licence for a nominal fee. (I was involved in organising a sponsored walk which involved making 600 photocopies of an OS map. We asked their permission and they issued a licence for free).

Check out OS licensing here:
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/business/copyr ight/index.html

Chris

[Gromit]

Thanks (Chris) Buenchico,

You confirmed what I was already thinking. Thanks for your answer and link, it was most useful.

Thanks to all the other answerers too.

[joko]

just get two or three maps and check each st is on all of them.

then use their trick and add your own fake streets