Did MalFreeMaps Mappers copied Jerome Wee Singapore Maps?
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:08 pm
Ethical or Unethical? I hope the below accuser are wrong.
Will the Site Admin or Singapore Map Mappers kindly clarify please.
If this is not verified, the Reputation of MalFreeMaps are at stake.
http://gpsmaps.jwpixs.com/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=36
Singapore map copied
It was brought to my attention that malfreemaps.com had a complete Singapore map just a few days after their website was launched and that the roads and polygons are the same as my map. I only had time to look at their v1.22 on 21 Nov and realised that they had indeed copied from my map as all my "easter eggs" could be found in their map, most were from v3.74 (which was the last version before they split from malsingmaps.com), the rest from v3.61 or earlier. I had spent the some time looking at both maps to see the extent of their copying and found at least 80% of my work in there, even deliberate routing errors were blindly copied. I pm antyong about it, which he responded that he would check with dynamix and revert. I gave them one of my easter egg and also shown them examples of how exact their map was to mine as can be seen below. They have since withdrawn their Singapore map until they finish their "audit", it will be left to been seen if all my easter eggs will still be there when it is released again. They will probably tweak the polylines to try not to make it look similiar, remove offshoot names, etc but there are some easter eggs that they cannot get rid off unless they are very sharp or they totally re-draw the map which I doubt they would.
Residential roads in Serangoon Gardens that were copied from my map:
The roads, alleys and HDB POIs that were copied from my map, they just drew in polygons:
HDB polygons, POIs and alleys that were copied. Not only are the shapes and POIs location and names exactly the same, even the error where the 118a and 118b polygon lies over the alley is exact.
6 Feb 2009
Someone just informed me that they re-released their Singapore map. I just had a look at their v1.40 and was disappointed to see that they just tweaked the polylines to try to disguise my work as some of my easter eggs are still there. They removed the roads names of all the offshoot, knowing some my easter eggs are there, but it's difficult to spot and remove the no-so-obvious easter eggs; the fake roads/alleys that I have purposely added in my map. I have also made some roads/alleys are longer than they should be (which they would definitely noticed if they did track it or drew it themselves). Just check the errors reported in malsingmaps and you will also find the exact error in their map most of the time. It only goes to show that they did not re-draw the map from scratch and are still using my map data. Even the reservoirs and rivers polygons are exactly the same as mine.
My Lornie Vidauct typo that is also in v.140. If only one polylines had that typo then it could have been a co-incidence but not when the error is on both Lornie Vidauct polylines. All the other exact errors found in my map and theirs cannot be co-incidences.
Will the Site Admin or Singapore Map Mappers kindly clarify please.
If this is not verified, the Reputation of MalFreeMaps are at stake.
http://gpsmaps.jwpixs.com/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=36
Singapore map copied
It was brought to my attention that malfreemaps.com had a complete Singapore map just a few days after their website was launched and that the roads and polygons are the same as my map. I only had time to look at their v1.22 on 21 Nov and realised that they had indeed copied from my map as all my "easter eggs" could be found in their map, most were from v3.74 (which was the last version before they split from malsingmaps.com), the rest from v3.61 or earlier. I had spent the some time looking at both maps to see the extent of their copying and found at least 80% of my work in there, even deliberate routing errors were blindly copied. I pm antyong about it, which he responded that he would check with dynamix and revert. I gave them one of my easter egg and also shown them examples of how exact their map was to mine as can be seen below. They have since withdrawn their Singapore map until they finish their "audit", it will be left to been seen if all my easter eggs will still be there when it is released again. They will probably tweak the polylines to try not to make it look similiar, remove offshoot names, etc but there are some easter eggs that they cannot get rid off unless they are very sharp or they totally re-draw the map which I doubt they would.
Residential roads in Serangoon Gardens that were copied from my map:
The roads, alleys and HDB POIs that were copied from my map, they just drew in polygons:
HDB polygons, POIs and alleys that were copied. Not only are the shapes and POIs location and names exactly the same, even the error where the 118a and 118b polygon lies over the alley is exact.
6 Feb 2009
Someone just informed me that they re-released their Singapore map. I just had a look at their v1.40 and was disappointed to see that they just tweaked the polylines to try to disguise my work as some of my easter eggs are still there. They removed the roads names of all the offshoot, knowing some my easter eggs are there, but it's difficult to spot and remove the no-so-obvious easter eggs; the fake roads/alleys that I have purposely added in my map. I have also made some roads/alleys are longer than they should be (which they would definitely noticed if they did track it or drew it themselves). Just check the errors reported in malsingmaps and you will also find the exact error in their map most of the time. It only goes to show that they did not re-draw the map from scratch and are still using my map data. Even the reservoirs and rivers polygons are exactly the same as mine.
My Lornie Vidauct typo that is also in v.140. If only one polylines had that typo then it could have been a co-incidence but not when the error is on both Lornie Vidauct polylines. All the other exact errors found in my map and theirs cannot be co-incidences.
..... we different from all of them..... 
