Frequently Asked Questions

Unrestricted Use Licence

  1. Who can access unrestricted use data?
  2. How do I get an Unrestricted Use Licence?
  3. What data is available through the Unrestricted Use Licence?
  4. How do I access data that is not included in the Unrestricted Use Licence?
  5. How will I receive the data?
  6. What format is the data in?
  7. What support is available to me?
  8. How do I get updates to the data?
  9. What is sensitive data?
  10. How do I get access to sensitive data layers?
  11. How do I cite ownership/copyright of the data that I’m using in my products?
  12. How do I sub-licence clients who acquire data from me?
  13. Can I ship a hard drive and get all of the unrestricted data at once?


 

  1. Who can access unrestricted use data?

    Anyone. There are no restrictions on who can access unrestricted use data. However, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) does not provide technical support to users so you must have software to work with geospatial data.
     

    Unrestricted Use Licence holders have access to unlimited amounts of unrestricted use data as well as data updates. Licence holders are not required to pay royalties to MNR on the resale of data or derivative products created from the data.
     

  2. How do I get an Unrestricted Use Licence?

    A complete list of the data available through the Unrestricted Use Licence is available at the end of the agreement.
     

    Metadata and other information about the data are available here: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LIO/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_168199.html.
     

  3. What data is available through the Unrestricted Use Licence?

    Unrestricted Use Licence is available on the Land Information Ontario website here.
     

    Please review and complete the licence agreement and forward two signed copies via email, fax or mail to:

    Christine Bolton
    Information Access Section
    Ministry of Natural Resources
    300 Water Street, 3rd Floor North Tower
    Peterborough, Ontario
    K9J 8M5
    Email: christine.bolton@ontario.ca
    Fax: (705) 755-1677

  4. How do I access data that is not included in the Unrestricted Use Licence?

    Additional data is available for a fee of $16.00 per megabyte (MB), with a $100 minimum purchase. Please contact Christine Bolton at 705-755-2216 or by email at christine.bolton@ontario.ca for more information about data not accessible through the unrestricted use licence.
     

  5. How will I receive the data?

    Once you sign the Unrestricted Use Licence agreement, you will be provided with a username and password to download the data from our data subscription service. You can select the type of geographic information you want and define the area you want to cover. The data will be delivered to you online or by mail on CD. There is no charge for CD delivery.
     

  6. What format is the data in?

    Shapefiles and coverages in Standard NRVIS interchange format (SNIF) are the only formats available.

    Learn more about converting SNIF files and SNIF specifications.
     

  7. What support is available to me?

    The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) does not provide technical support to unrestricted use data users.
     

  8. How do I get updates to the data?

    You can order data updates through the data subscription service. You can even have the data sent automatically to ensure you have the most current data.
     

  9. What is sensitive data?

    Sensitive data contains restricted government information, personal information or data involving discretionary authority over important policy matters, which call for tact, care, or caution when distributing and displaying the data.
     

  10. How do I get access to sensitive data layers?

    Access depends on the data you are interested in and the restrictions placed upon that data. If you require access to sensitive data, please contact Land Information Ontario at 705-755-1878 or by email at lio@ontario.ca.
     

  11. How do I cite ownership/copyright of the data that I’m using in my products?

    The Licensee should prominently display the following notice on all copies of the "Data":
     

    "Produced by (insert Licensee name) under licence from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Copyright (c) Queens Printer 20**"


    ** insert current reproduction year i.e. 2009
     

  12. How do I sub-licence clients who acquire data from me?

    The terms of your licence with the MNR requires you to sub-licence clients acquiring data or derivative products containing MNR data. MNR suggests that you use the same or a similar type licence.
     

  13. Can I ship a hard drive and get all of the unrestricted data at once?

    No, we do not offer this service.

 

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