Are Map Resources Maps "Copyright Free" for Commercial Use?
People often ask us if we sell "Copyright Free Maps". The short answer is YES, but legally, technically, no...
When you purchase from Map Resources you get our standard Royalty Free License that allows you to use the map in many ways, and to put your own copyright notice (©) on the maps you make using our digital map files, along with Map Resources copyright.
If you use the map in materials that do not include any copyright (such as an advertisement or report), then you do not need to include the Map Resources copyright.
But if you need maps for a book, web site, broadcast, or other media project which you need to copyright, you can still go ahead and use our maps as part of your product, and still copyright the final product as your own work.
With other copyright notices for this work, you should include something like:
Map portion © 2018 Map Resources.
What do we mean by "Royalty-Free"?
We use the legal licensing term "Royalty-Free" to describe our license because it is the standard legal term to mean that our license only requires one fixed payment for virtually unlimited use for a single customer, and never requires additional usage-based royalty payments for additional allowed uses. This is distinct from "Rights Managed" licensing in which you pay different license fees for different uses, for example paying higher fees for larger print runs, for using the map on a cover, printing the map at a larger size, or if you use the same map again in additional uses (such as related uses such as web, video, or broadcast, etc.) Our Royalty-Free license never requires you to pay such additional usage fees.
Licensing graphic content is an important issue, and we have made it as easy for you as possible by offering a wide selection of royalty-free maps online.
Licensing graphic content is an important issue, and we have made it as easy for you as possible by offering a wide selection of royalty-free maps online.
Our standard license agreement allows our customers to use the map in print, web, multi-media, and even some commercial product uses, for a single flat fee.
For other uses, such as broadcasting and map resales products, you can purchase an Extended Use License.
You can use our maps in print, web, multi-media, and even some for-sale commercial products for a single flat fee, which includes our standard Royalty Free License. Additional per-piece usage fees are not due, for as long as you want to use the map.
Regardless of whether you use the Standard RF License, or an Extended Use License, per-piece usage fees (royalties) are never due.