CaGIS Supports Court Ruling in MAPPS Lawsuit

The United States District Court in Alexandria, Virginia has reached a decision in the matter of MAPPS, et al. v. United States of America. Through this litigation, MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors) sought to limit government contracts for almost every type of mapping service, including GIS, to licensed architects, engineers and surveyors. United States District Judget T.S. Ellis, III issued a summary judgment on 14 June 2007 in favor of the US government, ruling that MAPPS lacks legal standing in this case. This means that competition for government contracts by GIS and mapping professionals remains fair and open. The Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) supports this outcome.1
Several geographic and GIS organizations joined together to support the government and oppose the MAPPS et al. litigation. These organizations, which developed an Amicus Brief to the Court, include the Association of American Geographers (AAG), GIS Certification Institute (GISCI), Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA), University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), and the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). CaGIS congratulates these organizations on their successful legal and educational efforts to protect the interests of the extraordinarily diverse, productive, and committed community of GIS and mapping professionals.

To access the Court’s decision and other legal documents related to case, please go to http://www.aag.org/help/links.html.

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Note: The statement above reflects the views of the CaGIS Board and not necessarily the views of ACSM or its other member organizations.