Admiralty to Privatize?

[GordMay]

The UK Hydrographic Office yesterday announced its intention to seek a commercial partner to 'help develop its offering to leisure customers.' The partner will help to extend and expand the UKHO's paper and digital navigational products via the Admiralty Leisure brand. According to the current schedule, proposals are invited until 1 September 2008 and the contract will be awarded in February 2009...
See the article:
UKHO set to privatise?

Admiralty set to privatise?

[Amgine]

Oh dear. I hope they've learned by Canada's example to not do certain things...

[Alondra]

The Admirality is a non legal Institutute!! I say Copy as much as you can!!! Remember, most of the charts where either produced by the Portugese and Dutch hundres of years ago. Than they fell in the hands of the UK through piracy and robbery. And second, charts ment for safety as a whole should not be subject to copyrights!! Give and get for Free.
Revolution! I'd say!!
(or am i saying anything wrong here...?)

[Zabriskie]

Originally Posted by Alondra

The Admirality is a non legal Institutute!! I say Copy as much as you can!!! Remember, most of the charts where either produced by the Portugese and Dutch hundres of years ago. Than they fell in the hands of the UK through piracy and robbery. And second, charts ment for safety as a whole should not be subject to copyrights!! Give and get for Free.
Revolution! I'd say!!
(or am i saying anything wrong here...?)

I think you should actually look at charts compiled in the 19th century. If you really think that they are suitable for use then you are welcome to do so. They are out of copyright and do not resemble modern charts at all!

[goboatingnow]

This move is to allow the UKHO to still charge for its products, The Ofiice for Trading standards recently critised government bodies who traded data collected using tax payers money for profit. In order to avoid a US solution the UKHO is settiing up a commercial compnay and partnering with them

Its a move that should be opposed.

Dave

[MarkJ]

No one will buy into a technology that has no future.

[DeepFrz]

As this thread is 3 years old, does anyone have any idea what has happened?

Our position within government

We operate as a Trading Fund agency of the Ministry of Defence. We also support the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in meeting international treaty obligations to provide hydrographic services for waters of UK national responsibility. Further details about our position in government is available by clicking here.

The UKHO doesn't seem to concerned...