Why you should think carefully before buying the Westeros Map app

A good while ago, an interesting app appeared on iTunes. The app was an interactive map of Westeros, the setting for the Song of Ice and Fire novels and Game of Thrones TV show. Users could search for obscure locations from the books and scroll around the map. As a free app, it was pretty good, although it was very heavily based on the same art style as the official map created by HBO for the TV show. The guy who created it, one Sergey Rekuz, posted on the Westeros.org forum and, given its usability, handiness and noted non-profit-making stance, he was allowed to advertise his product.

Tear's famous map of Westeros, still the definitive online map of the setting (and not at all affiliated with the iTunes app).

However, a few months ago something more dubious happened. The app was expanded with several modules that had to be paid for. The first such module was a map of Essos, the continent to the east of Westeros. This was then expanded by a 'cities map' and a 'coat of arms' pack, both of which also had to be paid for. When we asked Mr. Rekuz if he had gained permission from George R.R. Martin, his publishers or HBO to charge for such products, he blithely responded that since the maps were 'original' (i.e. created by his artist) he did not need to ask for any such permission. He became fairly irritable - and irritating, it has to be said - in this discussion and his product was subsequently banned from being advertised on the board until the legal situation had been clarified.

As of right now we are still waiting for legal clarification of the situation. Since the Essos map incorporates a reproduction of the copyrighted map of Slaver's Bay published in A Storm of Swords and A Dance with Dragons, I cannot see how it is legal to sell that image online, even a fresh reproduction of it. The same goes with the the city map pack, which includes a reproduction of the King's Landing map from A Clash of Kings, and the coat of arms pack, which includes reproductions of the secondary and minor house sigils from the books, some of which have also been copyrighted by GRRM.

The legal situation will be addressed by Bantam Books and HBO in due time, of course. What is more concerning is the fact that the creators of the app are essentially demanding payment for fanfiction. Their map of Essos has been supersceded by the substantially more authoritative map released by HBO in April 2012, so is now completely inaccurate (and we know now that the canon-for-the-books map of Essos in the forthcoming Lands of Ice and Fire book has been changed even further from this). It is also rather pointless to pay for the non-canon map when you can simply visit the HBO website map and see a much more accurate map of Essos completely free of charge.

The same is true for the cities map. The maps of Pentos and Braavos are simply fan intepretations of those cities and are not canon in any way, shape or form. A canon map of Braavos will also appear in The Lands of Ice and Fire, whilst to my knowledge there are no plans for a canon map of Pentos at this time. As for the map of King's Landing, a simple Google search will reveal, for free, the original map from A Clash of Kings, the more ornate one from the limited edition of the novel and even the full-colour, highly-detailed map from Green Ronin's Peril at King's Landing adventure book. Paying for this product is, aside from any legal considerations, therefore completely pointless.

To anyone planning to purchase this product, I advise caution based on the above facts.

Update:
A comment on this issue by George R.R. Martin's other half, Parris:

"thanks Adam for getting the word out about this person who is using the creative work of GRRM and multiple people and companies involved in making legit and 'canon' maps and histories of Westeros without permission to make money for himself.

There are dozens of people who are working on making the forthcoming books focusing on the maps of Westeros and the history of Westeros with GRRM's approval and collaboration. Some of those people are going to get not only a fee for their work, but royalties based upon sales.

This person is ripping off the intellectual property of GRRM and other people to make a profit for himself.

We have contacted the proper people at both Bantam and HBO, and hope that the outcome will be that this person takes down his counterfeit apps and that will be the end of it.

There are other outcomes that could take longer, but would be much more difficult for him, and much more costly.

I've heard that he's claiming 'fair use' allows him to take so much material for GRRM's stories to profit himself.

I do not think he knows what that phrase means when it comes to intellectual property.

For those who have accounts at the app stores where he is peddling his apps, it would be a good thing if you all could comment on his apps that these are not approved by GRRM and in some instances are very inaccurate and misleading."