Can EU law benefit Geodesy?

摘要

Geodesy helps us define where we are - the law regulates what we do where we are. Generally national laws regulate our everyday business but the Directives and Judgements which come as part and parcel of belonging to the EU also have an effect. The laws which affect Information Technology (IT) and Intellectual Property (IP) can be directly related to our activities on the internet or in designing and producing software and databases. There are also issues of Data Protection for the individual. Many of the new member states of the EU have incorporated these Directives straight into their national law. The paper aims to set out some of the main points which will either benefit or hinder those wishing to develop geodetic products, be they for their own use within an establishment or for other users in their own and other countries. Clearly the paper is not comprehensive but, as on some ancient map, it should point to the place where: 'Here be dragons.