§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the implications for the Government's policy on fair competition of the lack of a direct or notional payment to the Exchequer by the co-publisher of a joint Ordnance Survey venture for the use of the Ordnance Survey logo and the goodwill associated with the name of the Ordnance Survey.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe value of the Ordnance Survey's name and logo is recognised in any negotiation with a publishing house on a joint-venture proposal. When considering partnership, Ordnance Survey is looking not only at the financial soundness of the project but also at the benefits in editorial design, marketing and selling skills that the proposed partner will bring to the venture. These internal skills, which play a major part in the success of any co-publication, will not be charged as a cost to the product by the commercial partner but have a value against which Ordnance Survey sets the value of its name and logo.
§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 17 November 1987,Official Report, column 569, whether the Ordnance Survey commercial interest guidelines require the cost of drawing the maps used in the production of joint commercial ventures to be taken into account in the pricing of such publications.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe commercial interest guidelines as they apply to co-publishing require Ordnance Survey to166W act fairly and follow normal commercial practices in respect of setting prices and sharing all relevant production costs, along with the charging of royalty as a contribution to the use and maintenance of the mapping archive in line with that applied to other publishers. Relevant costs include those incurred by Ordnance Survey to produce the specific map components incorporated in co-publication.
§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 20 November 1987,Official Report, columns 681–82, whether the confidential information, concerning their future plans, which the private map-maker is required to provide to the Ordnance Survey, is seen by the publication division.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe information on map content and print run required from publishers by the copyright branch of Ordnance Survey to provide for prior permission to be given for the use of Ordnance Survey material and for the correct assessment of the royalty rate due, is not seen by Ordnance Survey's publication division.