Maps of the London underground are cultural artefacts. We rely on them for information and we stare at them in boredom while travelling. The term “mind the gap” has become synonymous with the London Underground. So I guess it wasnt a big leap of imagination to thinkt that someone would create anagrams of all the stations.
With the help of a computer and web-space the new anagram map of the London underground goes online. A perfect comment on our lives. Nothing terribly exciting just a nice idea.
Then all of a sudden the trademark lawyers leap into action. Boing Boing reports that lawyers for London Transport using trademark law are attempting to take down the map.
It is really annoying when the law is used to attempt to limit the individuals (or groups) ability to comment on their surroundings. I realise that trademark law is there for a purpose but like so much other legislation it is often used for the wrong reasons and gains more strength than it was ever intended to have.
Geofftech has collected a whole list of social commentary on London Tube Maps. His collection includes: The realistic map showing the way the tubes really travel, maps where there is no mobile coverage, the useful map showing when it is quicker to walk between stations, maps with travel times and distance and so much more…