I don’t know whether to be honoured, or pissed off … but it seems like these pages have finally got some form of ‘recognition’ – albeit negative.

On my webpages here, I host a collection of alternative & ‘silly’ tube maps.

Also, all over the rest of my website, the LU roundel is used, mainly because of the fact that I talk about the tube challenge and the fact that I hold the world record for going round the entire system in the quickest time possible.

On Wednesday of this week, I received the following email:

Dear Geoff

[name removed]
Solicitor
Commercial Department

I read it. Re-read it. Made a cup of tea. Wondered how clueless you have to be to not realise that people with personal webpages tend not to give out their phone numbers on their websites, and then decided to call them up instead and have a friendly ‘chat’.

I actually thought it was a bit strange that they would want to conduct this via telephone where no records could be kept which they could do with either email or on a paper letter, but it would seem that that’s what they wanted to do.

So I got directly through to the solicitor used by TFL and we spoke pleasantly for about ten minutes, whilst I rather (pointlessly?) argued my case whilst they said lots of things referring to “My Client” (meaning TFL) which always makes me chuckle under my breath as it sounds so fucking poncy.

The long and the short of it is, is that I can’t afford any legal representation to argue this one, so when I said “What will you do if I don’t remove the images that you want taken down?” they said that they would get my site taken down for me.

So at the moment, I have “by Monday” (which led to another fun email exchange shortly after as we argued exactly what time on Monday ‘by Monday’ meant), to remove all the ‘offending’ maps that are on this page here, meaning that if you want copies, then go and grab them now.

It’s mainly the silly & alternative maps which are causing offence – but there are a few other graphics on other pages that they’re not happy with.

These though are the same things which have been circulating the internet for the last ten years, and will continue to circulate around as people email them to their mates saying “Have you seen this?”. In fact, I recommend you go and take copies now and forward them round all your friends in an effort to distribute them furthur.

Maybe then someone else will decide to host them, and TFL and their solicitors can spend all their time continually playing catch up on people who decide to put them on their website.

So I’ve decided : I’m pissed off. Of course I am. Why? Well I’m not stupid, so before you all comment “Well you have just nicked their stuff Geoff, it was going to happen sooner or later”, consider this:

* Why me? Why now? Geofftech and the tube has been on the internet for five years now, and I’m not alone in using ‘the roundel’ logo and other such tube graphics. I’ve just done a very simple search this morning, and found 43 other sites within half an hour that have also ‘stolen’ the graphic. Are they being contacted as well?

* I think it’s unreasonable for them to ask me to remove each and every mention/roundel/whatever because we got permission for it (during TubeRelief – August of 2005) at which point and time they therefore must of known of me and my efforts and this indicates tacit agreement to useage.

* The majority of the usage falls under fair use provisions in copyright law.

* I’m not making any money from it and as far as I’m concerned, am helping to promote LU and TFL and have given them lots of FREE and GOOD publicity in the past. Right now, I don’t feel like saying anything nice about them.

I also want to know if they’re chasing people/websites/companies that ARE using their logo in a commerical business.

I can understand if they ‘went’ after people who pinched their logo and used it for their commerical business. i.e Waterloo Records – a music shop in Austin, Texas – are they being nobbled, or are they licensed to use it?

There is also ‘Westminster Pies’ in Durban, South Africa – which blantantly nicks the sign.

There is a sandwich shop called ‘Lunch Station’ in Sheffield which uses the roundel. Did they get that licensed? And I also once recall seeing a fashion shop in Manchester that used the logo.

So – [name of lawyer] why aren’t you “acting on behalf of my client” and contacting them? These are people that are using the roundel as part of a commerical business – unlike me, the little man, with a personal website – the easy target for you, right?

I pay money out of my own pocket to host my site, and talk about the tube in a positive, healthy way. I love the tube, it’s a classic system, part of Londons culture, and I’ve always tried to be positive about it – and here’s what I get back in return.

I’m also quite clearly promoting it by saying ‘Look, you can do it all in a day if you’re mad enough‘, and now they want to take me down? Bastards.

So TFL – go pick on someone that IS making money out of you, or is slagging you off. As I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot on this one as there will be a backlash against you.

As this (might!) be your last chance to visit the page, go it here and download them while you can.

And perhaps either email them round to all your friends, or host them yourself !?

This entry was posted on Friday, March 10th, 2006 at 4:26 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. Share this post on Facebook