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Subject: NGA to go Forward with Proposal to Remove Aero Data
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005
From: Julie Horns <[log in to unmask]>
To: Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]>
CC: <[log in to unmask]>, <[log in to unmask]>, "NGA"
<[log in to unmask]>, "Howard Cohen" <[log in to unmask]>, "Donald Collier"
<[log in to unmask]>
Dear Maps-L:
Many of you may recall the announcement about one year of NGA's
intention to withdraw all aeronautical charting products, paper and
digital, from public sale. East View Cartographic immediately took a
public stance on this issue and tried to raise its visibility as best we
could by issuing a white paper showing what this meant in practice and
also by working with various professional organizations and news media
outlets, as well as lobbying NGA ourselves. (Our white paper can still
be found on our website at
http://www.cartographic.com/news/corporate.asp?NEWS_YEAR=2005&SYS_NEWS=2
0
<http://www.cartographic.com/news/corporate.asp?NEWS_YEAR=2005&SYS_NEWS=
20> .)
Today NGA has announced its intention to proceed with its plans to
remove its FLIP and DAFIF products from public access in a phased
manner, beginning January 2006. Its paper charts from 1:250,000 scale
(JOG) to 1:5,000,000 (GNC) will continue to be available. The reasons
for the data withdrawal have to do with the complexities of
administering large databases which involve content from source
providers who wish to retain copyright and control over their
intellectual property. Details below in the attached NGA release.
EVC regrets the disappearance of valuable data from the public domain,
and we feel that the great majority of public-domain content in the
affected databases could have remained available while respecting the
concerns of the foreign providers and simultaneously not imposing an
undue administrative burden on NGA. However, we are also grateful that
NGA did open up the matter for public comment (in fact NGA extended the
period of public comment for five months from its initial deadline) and
has allowed some valuable materials to remain for public sale. We
congratulate General James Clapper on his organization's willingness to
consider public opinion in their decision-making processes. Not all
organizations are as open-minded.
Best regards,
Kent
Kent D. Lee
President/CEO
East View Cartographic, Inc.
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
www.cartographic.com <http://www.cartographic.com>
-----Original Message-----
From: Mohan, James
Sent: 11/29/2005 10:08 AM
Subject: NGA to go Forward with Proposal to Remove Aero Data
The enclosed information is available for immediate release.
On Tuesday, November 29 and Wednesday, November 30 Jim Mohan will be in
Bethesda, Maryland and can be contacted at 301-227-3105. Starting
Thursday, December 1, he can be reached at 314-263-4142. As an
alternate, Stephen Honda can be reached at 301-227-2057
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency NEWS RELEASE
November 29, 2005 Contact: Jim Mohan, 314-263-4142;
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Release Number: 05-17 Stephen Honda, 301-227-2057;
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TO GO FORWARD WITH PROPOSAL
TO REMOVE AERONAUTICAL DATA FROM PUBLIC ACCESS
BETHESDA, MD -- The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) will
go forward with its previously announced proposal to remove its Flight
Information Publications (FLIP) and Digital Aeronautical Flight
Information File (DAFIFTM) from public access. NGA is taking this action
due to the increased numbers of international source providers claiming
intellectual property rights of their data. Many of these sources
forewarned NGA they intended to copyright their aeronautical data. NGA's
public release of data produced by others violated claimed copyright,
forcing NGA to discontinue the release of this data to the general
public. Government agencies and authorized government contractors are
not affected by this action.
"The removal of this aeronautical data from general public access will
assure the continued availability of information vital to national
security," commented NGA Director, Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper, Jr., USAF
(Ret).
NGA officially announced its proposed intention to remove the
aeronautical products from public access on Oct. 1, 2005 in the Nov. 18,
2004 Federal Register. As a result of the feedback received from
organizations and individuals, NGA invited public comment on this
proposed action between Dec. 17, 2004 and June 30, 2005. Numerous
comments were received and addressed from private citizens and special
interests groups.
As a result of input from the public comment period, NGA will phase in
the removal of the affected NGA products from public access over a 22
month period.
NGA, in consultation with the Federal Aviation Agency has determined
this action will not affect chart products for US airspace or Caribbean
and South American charts and also Pacific, Australia, and Antarctica
charts in areas considered part of the US Flight Information Region. NGA
has decided not to withdraw paper map products to a scale of 1:250,000
to 1:5,000,000. These products will continue to be available to the
public.
The first phase of the product withdrawal begins in January 2006 with
the removal of worldwide DAFIF from public sale. The electronic
distribution of DAFIF over the World Wide Web (www) and public sale of
NGA FLIP outside US airspace will cease in October 2006. The remaining
NGA FLIP will be removed from public access in October 2007.
The NGA is a Department of Defense combat support agency and a member of
the National Intelligence Community. The Agency's mission is to provide
timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of our
national security. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., NGA has major
facilities in the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and St. Louis,
Mo., areas with NGA support teams worldwide.
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