Oz Govt Restricts Bushfire Location Information

You can go to the Weather Bureau's website at http://www.bom.gov.au/index.shtml and see rain detail in real time. Pretty handy, right? Specially if you're planning to go somewhere. A quick check and you can see the liklihood of rain, a Current temperature and humidity, etc.

What better than to Also have the same for the Bushfire. A Map of where the fires are.

The Victorian Govt - being Public Servants - was not able to do this. So in steps Google with a Great idea. To Overlay the bushfire information onto Google Maps. Whoops. Sorry Google. That DATA is Copyrighted by the Vic Govt. http://news.cnet.com/australia-gover...-bushfire-map/

Michael Ross
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[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by MichaelRoss

You can go to the Weather Bureau's website at http://www.bom.gov.au/index.shtml and see rain detail in real time. Pretty handy, right? Specially if you're planning to go somewhere. A quick check and you can see the liklihood of rain, a Current temperature and humidity, etc.

What better than to Also have the same for the Bushfire. A Map of where the fires are.

The Victorian Govt - being Public Servants - was not able to do this. So in steps Google with a Great idea. To Overlay the bushfire information onto Google Maps. Whoops. Sorry Google. That DATA is Copyrighted by the Vic Govt. http://news.cnet.com/australia-gover...-bushfire-map/

Hi Michael,

That's one difference (unfortunately) between the US Government and almost every other country's government. The US Government puts its publications in the public domain, while every other government I know of retains and enforces copyright on their publications.

As mentioned in the article you linked to, the fact the Aussie government wouldn't even let Google use information about the location of toilets is just outrageous! (I can't think of how many highly uncomfortable traveling Australians and tourists there are as a result!)

I wish other governments (including the Victorian state government and the Australian federal government) would follow the US Government example!

(It also helps if you want to "re-use" government-published information for your own products... It helps to fuel entrepreneurship!)

Best wishes,

Dien