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Old 12-02-2016, 09:19 AM
markmac markmac is offline
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 61
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The counties do indeed own the copyright on the map itself, and can enforce it if the choose to. Scanning of a map is illegal, photocopying a map illegal. The presentation of the map is copyrightable regardless of whether the data in the map is copyrightable.

Also, map town does not have any special rights whatsoever. Some counties don't even know (or care) that MapTown re-sells their maps. The county prints the maps, and sells the map to whoever wants to buy them, in whatever quantity they want to buy them. MapTown simply re-sells them at a higher price. They don't violate copyright by doing so. If they bought one copy, and made copies of that to sell, there would be a problem.

Most of the counties that have a pdf online allow personal use (non-commercial). If its not a PDF online, and someone has scanned it in and is sharing it online, then that is a clear violation of copyright.
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