{{Short description|Online web mapping service}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox website | name = Streetdirectory.com | logo = Streetdirectory.com logo | url = http://www.streetdirectory.com/ | type = Web Map Service | commercial = Yes | registration = Optional | owner = JobsDB (2008 – )<br>Virtual Map (S) Pte Ltd (2000–2008) | author = Robert J. Steiner (S) Pte Ltd }} '''Streetdirectory.com''' is an online web mapping service, founded by Singapore-headquartered Virtual Map in 2000. It originally used licensed data from Singapore Land Authority (SLA) under a non-exclusive agreement until July 2004. On top of providing free maps for personal use, the website also offers a variety of ad-supported services. The website has since expanded to include maps in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Streetdirectory.com won several lawsuits against other businesses who used Streetdirectory.com's maps without permission resulting in copyright infringement. It then lost a copyright infringement lawsuit by SLA in early 2008 for selling its maps, produced from SLA's maps, after the end of agreement with SLA.
== History == On 1 August 2008, four months after the lawsuit by SLA, Streetdirectory.com and the remaining assets of Virtual Map was acquired by JobsDB for an undisclosed sum. At the same time, maps newly generated from scratch after nine months' of groundwork went online. A new company, Streetdirectory, was created in place to manage the running of the Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia websites.<ref name="st1aug">{{cite news | author = Irene Tham | title = Streetdirectory.com back in business | url = http://www.smoothincome.com/ | newspaper = The Straits Times | date = 1 August 2008 }}</ref><ref name="zd1aug">{{cite news | author = Sol E. Solomon | title = Streetdirectory.com gets new owner | url= http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62044448,00.htm | work = ZDNet Asia | date = 1 August 2008}}</ref>
==Services== The website is best known for offering an online version of the Singapore street directory, which is free for personal use. It is also accompanied with value-added tools such as driving directions, photos of locations, and a travel guide. Some of these services have been previously offered only on a pay-per-use basis, but an advertisement-supported alternative has since been made available.
==Legal issues==
=== Copyright infringement by other companies === Since early 2004, Streetdirectory.com has gained prominence in several of its owner's successful legal action against schools and small and medium enterprises for what they see as unauthorised use of its maps. This is after Virtual Map has also won landmark cases against larger enterprises such as NTUC Income<ref name="stntuc">"NTUC Income facing legal action over map download", Ho Ka Wei, ''The Straits Times'', 1 February 2004</ref><ref name="lawdit">"[http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/100%20companies%20sent%20bills.htm 100 companies sent bills of up to $50,000 for downloading maps from a street directory website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116010604/http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=..%2Farticles%2F100%20companies%20sent%20bills.htm |date=16 January 2013 }}", Riyaz Jariwalla, Lawdit Solicitors</ref> and Suncool International, with the former's damages waived<ref name="stntuc" /> and the latter's appeal being subsequently dismissed.<ref name="suncoolcase">"[http://www.mondaq.com/i_article.asp_Q_articleid_E_34504_A_shownav_E_0 Singapore: Virtual Map’s Copyright Endorsed by Singapore High Court]", Angeline Raj, Mondaq, 25 August 2005</ref><ref name="suncoolst">"Company loses map-download appeal", Selina Lum, ''The Straits Times'', 3 February 2005</ref>
Its owner is known to have hired an IT firm to conduct investigations aggressively against the unlicensed use of their maps on other websites,<ref name="stntuc" /> and most of the defendants contacted by Virtual Map's legal team claim that they were not aware that doing so constitutes a copyright infringement. Nevertheless, they were liable for damages and lawyers subsequently warned of this fact in the local media.<ref name="stntuc"/><ref name="lawdit"/>
The justification given by Virtual Map was that enough skill and effort was made in using SLA data to create maps that the company can claim its own independent copyright to,<ref name="suncoolcase" /> and suffered from a loss of potential profit when businesses reproduced their maps online without paying any licensing fees. Such use constituted, as Virtual Map claims, infringement of the Copyright Law and has angered existing clients who have legally paid to license their maps.<ref name="stntuc"/> This position was endorsed by the High Court of Singapore, which gave Virtual Map the green light<ref name="suncoolcase"/> to send cease and desist letters to hundreds of companies and organisations who have used the maps on their websites in a similar manner, demanding that they either pay up to $10,000 or more, or to face legal action.<ref name="suncoolst"/> In most cases matters were settled out of court.<ref name="stntuc" /><ref name="lawdit"/>
=== Copyright infringement === In October 2006, Virtual Map became embroiled in a civil suit against the ex-provider, Singapore Land Authority (SLA), a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Law.<ref name="cnasla">"[https://archive.today/20130119101925/http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/blog/ginstonic/0,39059294,61969860,00.htm Land Authority sues StreetDirectory.com for copyright infringement]", Oo Gin Lee for CNet Blogs, 24 November 2006</ref> Until July 2004, Singapore Land Authority (SLA) provided digitised data to Virtual Map non-exclusively under seven agreements that the latter has signed, and claims that the latter has infringed SLA's copyright by continually selling and redistributing its maps even after the expiration of the agreements.<ref name="slavvm">"[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/243231/1/.html The roadmap to the courts]", Leong Wee Keat, ''Today'' for Channel NewsAsia, 24 November 2006</ref><ref>"Land authority sues online map company", Elena Chong, ''The Straits Times'', 10 January 2006, H6</ref>
The statutory board is currently seeking damages, an injunction to prevent further use of the data by Virtual Map, an order to disclose its client's list and addresses, and to destroy all copies of the infringing material.<ref name="slavvm" /> In its defence, Virtual Map has reiterated that its works have been sufficiently original, an argument which held in Suncool's unsuccessful appeal against the company.<ref name="suncoolcase" /> The defendant has also claimed that SLA has obtained information from other agencies that it did not own.<ref>"Firm says its maps different from SLA's", Tor Ching Li, ''Today'', 9 January 2006</ref> On the second day of the trial, three SLA employees took the stand to testify that Virtual Map has copied "SLA's skeleton", which has been the "hard work, skill, labour and money invested by the government", and pointed out several irregularities in Virtual Map's work.<ref>"Is 'altered copying' an infringement?", Tan Hui Leng, ''Today'', 10 January 2006</ref>
The trial began on 8 January 2007. SLA has since set up an alternative website that allows non-commercial users to download its maps for free.<ref name="cnasla"/> Eight months later on 7 August 2007, a district court ruled that Virtual Map's online maps on streetdirectory.com had breached SLA's copyright. District Judge Thian Yee Sze also held that Virtual Map should stop "dealing in maps which are reproductions of SLA's street directory vector data and address point vector data", and further ordered an inquiry into the damages due to SLA. Lawyers from Drew & Napier represented SLA, while Virtual Map was defended by counsel from Rodyk & Davidson.<ref name="K.C. Vijayan">{{cite news | author = K.C. Vijayan | title = Judge orders Virtual Map to end SLA copyright breach | newspaper = The Straits Times | date = 8 August 2007}}</ref>
Streetdirectory.com lost its subsequent appeal on the decision, but it did not affect the earlier legal settlements against hundreds of businesses and organisations. However, it had to shut down its map service pending replacement of its map data.<ref name="staug21">"Virtual Map goes to court again", Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 21 August 2007</ref><ref name="stapr3">[http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_223413.html Virtual Map shuts down street directory site after losing suit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404061329/http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_223413.html |date=4 April 2008 }}, Chua Hian Hou, The Straits Times, 3 April 2008</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== Further reading == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928004508/http://app.subcourts.gov.sg/Data/Files/File/GroundsOfDecision/GD_DCA192007_SLAandVirtualMap.pdf Singapore Land Authority And Virtual Map (Singapore) Pte Ltd], The Subordinate Courts of Singapore, 6 August 2007 *[http://lwb.lawnet.com.sg/legal/lgl/rss/supremecourt/56399.html Virtual Map (Singapore) Pte Ltd v Singapore Land Authority [2008] SGHC 42]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}, The Subordinate Courts of Singapore, 25 March 2008
==External links== * [http://www.streetdirectory.com Official Website] * [http://streetdirectory-singapore.blogspot.com Compilation of alternatives]
Category:Online companies of Singapore Category:Transport companies established in 2000 Category:Internet properties established in 2000 Category:Singaporean case law Category:Map companies