Ordnance Survey – Great Britain's national mapping agency
![Ordnance Survey home page [logo]](/images/gui/logo-os.gif){kind=logo}
Annual media copyright licence application
All Ordnance Survey mapping and data is Crown copyright, however, we offer free annual media copyright licences to assist the media in its work.
Such licences are available only to registered newspapers and printed magazines published at least three times a year.
A 12-month licence allows limited amounts of Ordnance Survey mapping to be reproduced, free of charge, to illustrate editorial articles, but not advertisements. The licence also covers the use of mapping in newspaper or magazine supplements where the supplements are a regular feature of every edition and produced at no extra cost to the reader.
The licence does not cover publications produced by public sector organisations such as local authorities and government departments, or to books or pamphlets produced by any other publishers.
The conditions attached to licences are set out in our "Media Licensing" leaflet.
Media Licensing - Reproducing maps in newspapers, magazines and on television and in films
Summary conditions of an annual media licence
An annual licence allows publications to include limited extracts of Ordnance Survey mapping to illustrate editorial content (not advertising) in each issue without paying royalties and without contacting the Ordnance Survey Press Office in advance for permission. In each issue the total area reproduced must not exceed 1,000 square centimetres (the equivalent of just over 3 x A5 size) and no single extract must be more than A4 size.
Each and every extract must be accompanied by the following acknowledgement: Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM XXX. (Note: the XXX will be your licence number).
If the extract is based on Ordnance Survey material (that is, the underlying mapping is by OS or a new map has been redrawn from an Ordnance Survey original) the extract must be accompanied by the following acknowledgement: Based on Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM XXX.
If you are reproducing mapping which has been produced by another publisher, but is based on Ordnance Survey material, you must also get the other publisher's approval. They may charge royalties.
Should you need to use a greater area of mapping than allowed by the agreed free limits, there will be a charge. Details are in appendix 1 of the Media Licensing leaflet. Permission will need to be sought in advance and a separate licence issued for that particular use. In such circumstances, your contact is the General Enquiries Helpdesk - not the Press Office.
An annual licence can be withdrawn by Ordnance Survey at any time and without notice if you do not comply with the conditions.