APPENDIX 3: REGISTRATION OF ORIENTEERING MAPS
The continued mapping of previously unused terrain and the update of existing maps are central to the Irish Orienteering Association's (IOA) commitment to the development of orienteering in Ireland. Orienteering maps constitute the sport's main tangible asset. They have been produced since the foundation of the sport in Ireland by the voluntary efforts of orienteers themselves, and of orienteering clubs.
The Appendix provides a framework for the management of orienteering maps. A balance is struck between the protection of the rights of the orienteering club that maps an area, on the one hand, and the Association's commitment to developing the sport by supporting new mapping initiatives by as many clubs as possible, on the other hand.
The IOA Mapping Registrar shall compile and administer a register of orienteering maps to be known as the IOA Map Register. All maps used for orienteering (open competition, closed competition and non-competitive events) organised by any club affiliated to the IOA or by any member of the IOA shall be registered.
The register shall be updated as registration applications are made, and shall be made available for inspection by any IOA club within a reasonable time from the time a request is made.
An abridged form of the register shall be published on the Internet and shall be kept up-to-date. The abridged information displayed for each map shall include:
Map title;
Orienteering club holding registration rights to the map;
A brief description of the terrain;
Size of mapped area;
6-figure grid reference for a defined point on the map (e.g. a car-park);
Date of survey and if applicable date of latest revision.
The register shall record details of completed orienteering maps and also of incomplete orienteering maps (work in progress).
The registration of a completed orienteering map implies registration of both the map and the mapped area to a club. This means that only the club holding registration rights may sell or reproduce maps of the area. The permission of the club holding registration rights must be obtained before another club or party may hold an orienteering event on the area, use or reproduce the map in any way.
Registration of an incomplete orienteering map implies registration to a club of the mapping rights to an area. This means that only the club holding registration rights may produce orienteering maps of the area.
No single area shall be registered to two separate clubs. There shall be no overlap of registration rights to an area, unless two clubs amicably share mapping rights to the same area at the time the Rules are enacted.
Orienteering clubs affiliated to the IOA alone may make map registration applications to the Mapping Registrar for inclusion in the IOA Map Register.
The Mapping Registrar shall confirm in writing to any club that makes an application to register either a completed or incomplete map, the success or otherwise of the application.
The register shall record details of all completed orienteering maps that have complied with the registration process. For each registered completed map the register shall include details of:
Map title;
Location of map (6 figure grid reference of a defined point on the map);
Date of survey;
Dates of previous surveys (if any);
Orienteering club that applied for and was granted registration rights of the map;
Date of application of registration;
Date of granting of registration rights;
History of ownership (if map previously owned by / registered to other clubs);
Names of surveyors and draftspersons;
Map scale(s) and contour interval;
Map area in square kilometres to the nearest quarter of a square kilometer.
A copy of the map shall also be included in the register. If the map is printed at more than one scale, a copy of the map at each scale shall be included.
In order to qualify for registration as a completed orienteering map, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
The map shall be surveyed, drawn and colour printed or colour reproduced to IOF five or six colour orienteering map specification;
A copy of the map at each scale it is printed at shall accompany the request for registration;
A club that submits the map for registration shall hold full copyright of the map, with the exception that an Ordnance Survey permit may be also be held for the map. A statement of club copyright and any Ordnance Survey permit number shall be printed on the map.
On each subsequent revision of a map a copy shall be provided to the IOA Mapping Registrar for inclusion in the register.
Clubs shall request the registration of incomplete orienteering maps. The register shall include:
An extract or photocopy of an Ordnance Survey 1:50,000-scale map with the area to be mapped delineated on it;
Proposed map title;
Dates of previous surveys (if any);
Orienteering club that applied for and was granted registration rights of the map;
Date of application of registration;
Date of granting of registration rights;
History of ownership (if map previously owned by / registered to other clubs);
Brief description of the terrain;
Map area in square kilometres to the nearest quarter of a square kilometer.
An orienteering club shall have a maximum of five incomplete orienteering maps registered at any time.
Areas larger than ten square kilometres shall be registered as two or more map registrations.
To hold an area in reserve means that no competition or orienteering of any kind shall be held in that area for a defined period.
The IOA Executive may hold any area in reserve, or request that the club to whom the map is registered, holds an area in reserve for any C1 competition scheduled to be organised within a period of three years.
The IOA Executive or a Regional Council may hold an area in reserve for any C2 status competitions scheduled to be organised within a period of two years, but only in agreement with the club, if any, that holds the current map registration.
In general map registration shall operate on a 'first-come-first-served' basis.
For an area of which no printed full-colour orienteering map exists or has ever existed the effective period of a registration of an incomplete orienteering map shall be two years for an area of four square kilometres and less, and shall be three years for an area greater than four square kilometres. The period of registration shall start from the date of receipt by the IOA Mapping Registrar of the registration application. An application to extend this period may be made to the IOA Mapping Registrar subject to the provisions of para. 6.3 of this Appendix.
Prior to the initial two or three-year period of a registration of an incomplete orienteering map expiring as defined in para. 6.2 of this Appendix, without the map being completed, the club holding mapping rights may make an application to the IOA Mapping Registrar to extend the effective period of registration. If no other club has made an application to register the area for mapping, the IOA Mapping Registrar shall extend the period of registration by one year. If another club has made an application to register the area for mapping, the IOA Mapping Registrar shall decide whether the registration period of the incumbent is extended by one year, or whether effective registration passes to the other club.
On a map's completion to IOF standards the club commissioning the map shall make an application to the IOA Mapping Registrar to register it as a completed orienteering map. If a map's effective period of a registration as an incomplete orienteering map (including any extension of registration) lapses without an application being made to register it as completed, any other orienteering club may make an application to register the area for mapping under the provisions of para. 6.2 of this Appendix.
An orienteering club may apply to the IOA Mapping Registrar to transfer its registration rights of a map to any other club.
The purchase of aerial photographs or of photogrammetry of an area by a club prior to a registration application being made shall not confer any advantage to the club in the registration process.
It is in the interest of the sport that areas suitable for orienteering are utilised with appropriate frequency. An area of which a printed orienteering maps exists, or once existed, and is still suitable for orienteering but which has not been used for open orienteering competitions for a period of three years, shall be available for registration by any orienteering club. An exception to this provision is the case where within this three-year period the IOA Executive or a Regional Council holds an area in reserve for a future competition as provided for in para. 5 of this Appendix.
Where an orienteering club's registration rights to an area lapses because no open competition has been held there for three years, and if no other club has applied to register the area for mapping, the club which recently held the rights can regain the rights by holding an open competition on the area.
Where an orienteering club's registration rights to an area lapses and another club has applied to register the area for mapping, the criteria governing the effective period of registration shall be as defined for an incomplete orienteering map. (Para. 6.2 of this Appendix.)
In all cases where an orienteering club applies to register an area which is either currently registered to another club, or was recently registered to another club and whose registration has lapsed by virtue of the provisions of para. 6.7 of this Appendix, the IOA Mapping Registrar shall inform this fact in writing to the club that holds, or previously held, the registration rights.
Mapping materials such as aerial photographs and photogrammetric plots which have been commissioned and either paid for, or grant aided by the IOA, shall be maintained in good state, and shall be made available via the IOA Mapping Registrar to all affiliated clubs that require them.
The IOA Mapping Registrar shall in the first instance resolve any disputes with respect to map registration.
The IOA executive shall as necessary appoint a Map Registration Appeals Board. The appeals board shall consist of three members, at least two of whom shall be members of the IOA executive. An appeals board member shall not be a member of an orienteering club from within the region the appeal originated, nor shall any appeals board member be otherwise directly involved in the dispute. The IOA Mapping Registrar shall not be a member of the appeals board. The IOA executive shall appoint the chairperson of the appeals board.
A club may appeal any decision of the IOA Mapping Registrar relating to map registration to the Map Registration Appeals Board. Such an appeal shall be in writing. A fee of £75 shall accompany any appeal, which shall be refunded if the appeal is upheld.
The Map Registration Appeals Board shall hold an appeals hearing within 60 days of the appeal being made. At least 20 days notice will be given to all parties to the dispute indicating time and location of the appeals hearing, at which all parties to the dispute may make oral and written submissions.
The Map Registration Appeals Board shall decide any appeal relating to map registration within a period of 30 days of the appeals hearing. The decision of the Map Registration Appeals Board shall be final.
The provisions of this Appendix with the exception of the provision of para. 6.7 shall come into effect 90 days after the date of enactment of the Rules of Foot Orienteering. This shall allow clubs sufficient time to submit existing completed maps for registration and apply for registration of incomplete maps.
The provisions of para. 6.7 relating to areas that have not been used for orienteering for a period of three years shall not come into effect until three years after the date of enactment of the Rules. This measure shall allow clubs sufficient time to hold at least one open event on each of the maps to which they hold registration rights.
The provisions of subpara. 3.2 (3) making it a condition of registration of a map that the club making the application holds total copyright of the map shall not apply to orienteering maps that have been published prior to the date of enactment of the Rules.