Publishing 1 - Land & Property Services/ Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (LPS/ OSNI) Branded Intellectual Property (IP) guidance notes
Read these guidance notes before completing an application for permission to publish Land & Property Services (LPS)/ Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) Branded Intellectual Property (IP).
Prices correct as of 1 April 2026.
1. Introduction
1.1 If You wish to publish any work protected by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) (the “Act”), You should take all reasonable steps to identify the Copyright owner of the material to obtain permission to make copies.
2. Crown copyright in LPS IP
2.1 Under the “Act”, Crown Copyright subsists from the publication date to the end of that calendar year and then for a further 50 years. The Chief Operating Officer, Land & Property Services, has a Delegation of Authority from the Keeper of Public Records in whom is vested by Royal Letters Patent the Crown Copyright in all Government information and works for licensing the copyright and database right in all IP produced by LPS.
2.2 If You publish copyright protected LPS/ OSNI Intellectual Property (IP) or material based upon copyright protected LPS/ OSNI branded IP without LPS permission, You are acting in breach of the “Act” and infringing Crown copyright in LPS IP. LPS may initiate criminal or civil action.
3. Publishing
3.1 Using the appropriate Publishing application form, You must apply for LPS permission if You wish to:
3.1.1 publish or reprint a publication based directly or indirectly on LPS IP; or
3.1.2 to copy such IP in the revision of a publication and the permitted conditions of use will be defined in the Publishing Permit.
4. Royalties
4.1 LPS will charge You Royalties on each copy in accordance with LPS current rates, taking into account the category of copying and the size of the finished reproduction.
4.2 Areas of sea not mapped by LPS will be excluded when calculating the area to be charged for the purpose of determining the Royalties due.
4.3 Atlases will accrue a 10% discount to account for overlaps. Atlases and flat maps of all of Northern Ireland will be assessed using the actual land area.
4.4 LPS charge a minimum fee for the issuing of a Publishing Permit.
4.5 LPS will not charge You for maps derived, redrawn and published at a scale of 1:1,000,000 or smaller but the copyright acknowledgement must be shown:
“Based upon Land & Property Services Intellectual Property Crown Copyright (year of Publication)”
5. Publishing Royalties
5.1 View all Publishing Royalties and Categories.
6. Payment
6.1 You shall without set off or deduction, pay to us all monies due in respect of the Publishing Permit in accordance with the Sales Policy;
6.1.1 Should You decide not to proceed with Your publication, You will have to pay LPS the minimum charge for issuing a Publishing Permit £60.30 +VAT.
6.2 You must let LPS Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Branch know in writing (e-mails are accepted) if You decide not to publish.
7. Right to cancel
7.1 If You inform LPS IPR Branch in writing (e-mails are accepted) of Your decision not to publish within seven (7) days of the Commencement Date* We will not charge You.
*The Commencement Date will be the date of issue of the Publishing Permit.
8. Reprints/ New Editions
8.1 Permission to copy LPS IP is given for a single print run only.
8.2 Reprints or New Editions are treated as new publications.
9. Use of the Irish Grid
9.1 The reproduction of the Irish Grid is permitted, provided that the following acknowledgement is included:
“The grid on this map is the Irish Grid, taken from the Land & Property Services/ Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland® IP.”
10. Copyright acknowledgement
10.1 Each authorised reproduction must include the:
10.1.1 Publishing Permit Number;
10.1.2 Year of publication; and
10.1.3 One of the following acknowledgements:
10.1.3.1 “This Intellectual Property is Crown Copyright and is reproduced with the permission of Land & Property Services under Delegated Authority from the Keeper of Public Records, © Crown Copyright and database right” or;
10.1.3.2 Where the reproduction is not solely confined to LPS Intellectual Property “This Intellectual Property is based upon Crown Copyright and is reproduced with the permission of Land & Property Services under Delegated Authority from the Keeper of Public Records, © Crown Copyright and database right”;
10.1.3.3 For a finished reproduction of less than 200 sq cms this note will be sufficent “© Crown Copyright” along with Your Permit number & the Year of Your publication.
10.1.3.4 In an Atlas or Guidebook one full acknowledgement in a prominent position will be sufficient, provided that each map shows the note “© Crown copyright”. along with Your Permit number & the Year of Your publication.
10.1.3.5 When the extract is obtained from out of Copyright material the acknowledgement should be “Reproduced from the ___” (Year of publication) Land & Property Services/ Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland® map”.
10.2 For software, including data stored on electronic media, the appropriate Crown Copyright acknowledgement should appear on any packaging and the opening screen each time the material is accessed.
11. Data protection
11.1 Any Personal Data* You provide will only be used for the performance of Your contract with LPS as set out in the LPS privacy statement.
*Personal Data shall have the same meaning as is set out in s. 3(2) Data Protection Act 2018.
11.2 None of the OSNI products available from LPS contain Personal Data.
11.3 If, in the event of reproducing LPS IP under this Licence, You incorporate or combine any Personal Data with the LPS IP in the course of Your Internal Business Use You acknowledge and accept that You shall:
11.3.1 Be solely responsible for ensuring all Data Protection Legislation is adhered to and complied with; and
11.3.2 Keep LPS harmless from any and all claims or liability for any breach of data protection legislation arising from any datasets You incorporate or combine with the LPS IP.
Apply
- Publishing 1 application
- Publishing 11 - Standard Publishing rates
- Publishing 12 - Commercial copyright Royalties publishing rates for atlases without advertising
- Publishing 13- Commercial Copyright Royalties publishing rates for flat maps - without advertising
- Publishing 14 – Royalty rates for media
Contact Us
E-mail: copyright@finance-ni.gov.uk
Write to:
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Branch
Land & Property Services
Lanyon Plaza
7 Lanyon Place
Town Parks
Belfast BT1 3LP