Copyright

We encourage the wide use of our data holdings for science, education and industry, as well as the wider public. However, users are asked to abide by and respect the copyright on the data. They should expect to sign a licence agreement prior to receiving data.

The copyright of materials derived from Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded work is vested in NERC. The copyright for non-NERC derived material rests with either NERC or the contributors of the data and material. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. BODC is empowered to give or seek permission on behalf of NERC and contributors to BODC.

Copyright

• Under the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988, it is open to NERC, where it is the copyright owner, to take measures to prevent infringement and to bring actions against such infringement directly against unlicensed contractors or contractors making use of unauthorised copies.
• To ensure that copyright infringements do not arise, permission to do any act restricted by copyright in a work must be obtained from the copyright owner.
• Consent to reproduce BODC derived materials is normally supplied under a particular licence which may include a fee. A licence does not authorise the licensee to attribute BODC derived materials as those of the licensee; nor to issue any materials in or on which there is a false attribution.
• A licensee is advised that third parties receiving copies of BODC derived material under the licensee's licence, may not pass the material or any derived products on unless prior permission has been obtained from BODC.
• A BODC licence does not cover any form of copying or adaptation, for which specific permission is required. It does not cover any other promotional use of BODC derived materials; any such use must be agreed separately.
• The licensee must not remove any part of any copyright notice.
• The use of BODC digital data set(s) on the World Wide Web/Internet is prohibited. Potential users of BODC holdings may discuss their requirements and make subsequent application for a licence by contacting BODC Enquiries.
• If BODC maps, other graphical materials and data are to contribute to a database or GIS, then users should be aware that materials are copyright protected and their transcription (a form of copying) requires permission.
• BODC reserves the right to require licensees to provide a copy of products free of charge and to use this material for internal purposes. BODC undertakes not to make commercial use of the material.

Royalties

Where data are supplied for use in a manipulated or value-added form, to provide a product for consultancy contract or to prepare a tradeable commodity for open sale, (whether offered in analogue or digital form), a royalty may be due to BODC or our contributors. This will be based on the nature of the product/commodity and the number of copies issued. The incorporation of BODC derived material in a commercial computer-based information system may also be subject to royalty payments. The royalty sum and frequency of payment will be subject to agreed terms and conditions of contract. BODC retains the right to acquire without charge, a copy of any value-added product openly marketed and sold.

Liability

Use by licensees of data set(s) provided by BODC, is at the licensee's own risk. Neither BODC, NOC nor NERC gives any warranty as to the quality or accuracy of the information or the medium on which it is provided or its suitability for any use. All implied conditions relating to the quality or suitability of the information and the medium, and all liabilities arising from the supply of the information (including any liability arising in negligence) are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.