California Map

[Brendi]

In need of free map of CA for a website. One that is just an outline of the state would be fine. Been searching the net, but nothing found yet. Any help would be appreciated.

Brendi

[aussie girl]

http://images.google.com.au/images?q=california%20map&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&sa=N&tab=wi

[Brendi]

Appreciate it Aussie Girl, but that site has a copyright on it. I don't know if I can use any of the pics there or not????? I will see what I can work out, though.

Brendi

[KDLA]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California
These images are in the public domain.

Also, you can download images from any CA governmental agency (tourism, weather, transportation) -- those are in the public domain, too.

KDLA

[The Old Sarge]

Also, you can download images from any CA governmental agency (tourism, weather, transportation) -- those are in the public domain, too.

Don't mean to start a debate but are you sure of that? Is this particular to California? I know in some states at least, some .gov sites are indeed copyright protected.

[KDLA]

Hmmm... unless the map is provided by a third party resource (in which cases, there's usually a copyright mark), government images are supposed to be in the public domain (because their creation is dependent upon public funding and they fall under the category public records). I've worked in state gov. for about 10 years, and that's always been my understanding.

Perhaps those sites you've seen are contracted out to third-party resources, and as part of the contract, copyright is retained. I do know that many state gov. sites use specific technology/coding that is copyright protected -- ours is one of them -- and the output of those programs is protected. But, in terms of content -- static images and text -- that supposed to be public record (unless otherwise denoted).

[Brendi]

Thanks for all your help... I found what I needed. And it states clearly that it is free for website use & etc. even though there is a copyright notice at the bottom of the page.

Brendi

[The Old Sarge]

Perhaps those sites you've seen are contracted out to third-party resources, and as part of the contract, copyright is retained.

Ahah. I think you're on to something there. I do know that several of the sites I had in mind are, in fact, created by contractors.

But there exceptions that still leave me wondering. Notably Idaho.gov (http://www.idaho.gov/) and Idaho Department of Fish and Game (http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/). (Check the copyright notice at the bottom of the pages. Both are in the name of the state or state agency.)

Thanks, KDLA.