Recently, during this week, the live London Underground Tube and Bus maps were removed from the website run by Matthew Somerville. It was popular, having received press coverage from the BBC, The Guardian, etc. Bear in mind, I don't wish to get involved in any internet dramas or disputes; the purpose is to raise awareness of this issue.
Unfortunately, he replaced it with a webpage explaining why the removal occurred. He said:
"But then on 7th January 2025, I received two emails out of the blue; a vaguely personal one from someone at TfL telling me to remove the schematic Tube map, and my hosting provider received a very impersonal one from the “Trademark Enforcement team”. (That second one says “We informed the registrant of our complaint, but were unable to resolve this issue.” but presumably they can’t mean the first email sent about an hour earlier? This is the first I’ve ever heard from them.)
This is of course perfectly within their right so to do, though I would have hoped for a different approach. Sure, I could have made some changes and kept the maps up, although as above they have been fine with it for many years. But I believe it is possible to both “protect” your trademark (or whatever you think this is) and not treat people like this. And rewarding this heavy-handed approach (by continuing to provide a useful addition to their service with no contact bar this) to me feels wrong.
The internet isn’t what it was 15 years ago, and I can’t be bothered dealing with large organisations removing any semblance of joy from it. I’m sure they won’t care, but I am just too tired.
So sorry, the maps are all gone."
I looked through the second email and noticed that they referenced US copyright and trademark laws instead of UK laws, such as the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Trade Marks Act 1994. 🤔
— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) January 8, 2025
This could raise questions about the authenticity of the takedown request? pic.twitter.com/2GL8GUlfA5
As I said in the tweet above, the person apparently sent the email to Matthew where they used American English and referenced United States (US) laws, which is why I raised the legitimacy of the takedown request. Although another user on X mentioned US trademark laws, which would have come under fair use.
This is why there’s a question over the legitimacy of the takedown request by the apparent trademark team at TfL, as fraud, phishing, and scam emails happen all the time. This extends to telephone call scams that occur in the UK and many parts of the world.
It is important to check the legitimacy of emails and messages, including incoming phone calls proclaiming to be from a company, especially banks. This is why you need to contact them through the official website and use their official telephone number.
As Transport for London (TfL) is based in the United Kingdom (UK), the exceptions to copyright and trademarks apply under UK law.
In the UK, there are exceptions to copyright and trademark laws.https://t.co/VDAzP0x78nhttps://t.co/l21IhOxUj1
— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) January 9, 2025
The exceptions to copyright originate from the EU Directive (Article 5 of 2001/29/EC), which is also incorporated into UK law through the amended Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The EU Directive is also retained in UK law.
TfL provides guidelines on their website regarding the use of their branding and trademarks by third-party apps and services. While developers can use TfL's data, they are not permitted to adapt or use TfL's branding (including logos like the roundel, Oyster card, or New Johnston font) without explicit permission. Terms or names that suggest an official partnership, such as 'official' or 'in partnership,' should also be avoided. However, third-party apps can use service names like 'London Underground' or 'Santander Cycles' for descriptive purposes in travel tools, app store descriptions, and marketing. If permission is granted, developers must follow TfL’s design standards when using any of their branding or logos.
Bear in mind, I’m not an expert in copyright or trademark law; I only go by the information I have researched.
I have raised the issue on X to the attention of Theo Blackwell MBE, the Chief Digital Officer for the Mayor of London, and he is now aware of the issue.
Hi - I’m looking into this, harsh by TfL
— Theo Blackwell MBE (@LDN_CDO) January 9, 2025
Just to point out, the live Tube map was endorsed and linked by a blog post on the Greater London Authority's Datastore blog back in 2015.
But I do hope that Matthew reinstates the live Tube map and live bus map once the issues have been resolved, because it is important not to give up on these issues.
As I’m not an expert in APIs and data, there are other websites and apps that use UK transport data feeds. One example is Bus Times, which features a live bus map throughout the UK and Ireland. This helped me raise an issue about the lack of bus services in London and many parts of the UK on Christmas Day 2024.
As I could not find another live Tube map, I found Intertube, which shows real-time movements of the London Underground Tube trains and the Elizabeth line trains.
If you know of any similar websites that use TfL's API, please let me know on social media, as I would love to see more creativity being applied to APIs for new maps, journey planning, and more.
Lastly, you can raise the issue with a London Assembly member, who can also bring it to the Mayor of London at the upcoming Question Time.
I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.
Further reading
