[Phpwm] Re: Postcode Database (Chris Allen)

[Phil Beynon]

> I don’t understand why the government has to sell what should be in the
> public domain for free.
> 
> Here are some sites you may all want a quick look at:
> 
> http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/
> 
> http://www.freethepostcode.org/
> 
> http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/freegovdata/
> 
> Keith Pope

Probably for the same reason as you don't design sites for free, its called capitalism!
They've got it, you haven't, so if you want it then you have to pay.
At one stage BT actually tried to make telephone numbers copyrighted information, in that if you published your number or had it printed anywhere, like on business stationary, you should pay them royalties.

I would imagine at some stage someone like Google will make it free by collecting enough data from people putting postcodes and locations into their mapping systems to effectively make it public domain information.

Phil