Map Wars : The Empire Strikes Back!

Looks like Virtual Map is in trouble

The roadmap to the courts
SLA sues creators of streetdirectory.com

Leong Wee Keat
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg


THE Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has filed a civil suit against Virtual Map — the company behind streetdirectory.com — for copyright infringement.

The copyright material in question: Singapore's map data and street information, which the SLA had licensed to Virtual Map, but whose licence the authority terminated in July 2004.

The statutory board claimed that after the termination, Virtual Map continued to sell and distribute its maps. It also created new maps, which the SLA alleges are reproductions of the authority's works.

The SLA is seeking damages and an injunction to restrain Virtual Map from further infringement of the data.

It also wants Virtual Map to disclose the names and addresses of all persons or companies that it has distributed the maps to. Additionally, the SLA is also seeking an order to destroy all documents, materials or images in which copyright breaches have occurred.

The suit, filed in October last year, was confirmed yesterday by an SLA spokesperson.

It goes to show you don't screw with the government. Or the government will screw with you. Also, contrary to what they keep denying, NTUC is the "government" in every sense of the word.

All those legal suits by Virtual Map settled out of court.....well the government is going to take it all back and more!

I have never seen a private entity go up against the government and win in the courts. And I don't envision why it will be any different with this case.

Virtual Map would be wise to settle out of court and try to broker a deal to work WITH the SLA rather than compete.

Good luck Virtual Map!