iPodSubwayMaps.com is a site that gives off bite-size pieces of subway system maps for people to use on their special iPod Photos/Nanos for free.
They just got a cease and desist letter from the authorities of the New York/San Fransisco subway operators. Why? Because the photos they used the maps are those that are given freely on the websites of both respective authorities.
Legally, iPodSubwayMaps is the one at fault here. But just because something is legally incorrect, does not mean that it is truly right or wrong. These maps were distributed on the net freely anyways. These maps helped people, and did not require anyone spending money to obtain them [iPodSubwayMaps is donation-based]. No one lost any money over this. No one lost… anything over this. In fact, it could be said that such a site helped both subway authorities in general.
Instead of sending a cease-and-desist letter, and removing someone that was helpful, why not just work with them? That’s whay common sense would dictate. But then, if people were suddenly to adopt such a sense of logic – lawyers would all suddenly whither away.