Streetdirectory.com

Streetdirectory.com
Web address http://www.streetdirectory.com/
Commercial? Yes
Type of site
 Map & Business Directory
Registration Optional
Owner Streetdirectory Pte Ltd (2008 - current)
Virtual Map (S) Pte Ltd (2000-2008)
Created by Robert J. Steiner (S) Pte Ltd

Streetdirectory.com is an online web mapping and business directory service published by Streetdirectory Pte Ltd. The website allows users to search for maps, businesses, products and services and a comprehensive building directory of any location by clicking on the building. Services include maps and businesses of Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Indonesia. In June 2010, streetdirectory introduced their first mobile apps.

The website was founded by Singapore-headquartered Virtual Map (2000 to 2008) before being taken over by JDB Holding (a HK based company) in August 2008. The site now is published by Streetdirectory Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of JDB Holding.

Apart from publishing streetdirectory.com, Streetdirectory Pte Ltd publishes 2 monthly magazines. The Singapore Home directory magazine which is circulated to landed property homeowners and the Station map which is circulated to tourists visiting Singapore. The company also does specialized projects on mapping, geographical information systems and navigation for corporates and government agencies.

Jan 2013 Streetdirectory launches "The Silent Car Alarm" for car owners

Car owners can now subscribe to Streetdirectory GPS Car Alarm. Called the "silent car alarm", this device allows car owners to track their car whereabouts anywhere using their phone or desktop. the car alarm works in Singapore/Malaysia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. The device allows car owners to remotely switch off their car engine using their app.[1]

Nov 2012 Streetdirectory launches offline maps for Asia

Users can now download the entire maps of Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia to their iPhone. Simply visit appstore and download the streetdirectory app.[2]

August 2008 (Streetdirectory.com gets a new owner; Streetdirectory Pte Ltd)

On 1 August 2008, four months after the lawsuit, 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 Pte Ltd, was created in place to manage the running of the Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia websites.[3][4]

SLA v. Virtual Map (2006 to 2008)

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.[5] 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.[6][7]

The trial began on 8 January 2007. On 7 August 2007, district judge Thian Yee Sze ruled that Virtual Map's online maps on streetdirectory.com had breached SLA's copyright and ordered Virtual Map to stop "dealing in maps which are reproductions of SLA's street directory vector data and address point vector data". Virtual Map appealed but its appeal was rejected by the Singapore courts of appeal. This was followed by a shut down of its mapping service pending replacement of its map data.[8][9] However, this loss did not affect the earlier legal settlements against hundreds of businesses and organisations. Virtual Map eventually paid a sum of S$200,000 as damages to SLA.

Lawyers from Drew & Napier represented SLA, while Virtual Map was defended by counsel from Rodyk & Davidson.

Virtual Map (S) Pte Ltd (2004 to 2008)

Under its previous owner Virtual Map, Streetdirectory.com gained prominence in several of its owner's successful legal actions against schools and small and medium enterprises for what they see as unauthorised use of its maps. This occurred after Virtual Map won a case against larger enterprises such as NTUC Income[10][11] and Suncool International, with the former's damages waived[10] and the latter's appeal being subsequently dismissed.[12][13]

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,[12] 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.[10] This position was endorsed by the High Court of Singapore, which gave Virtual Map the green light[12] 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 face legal action.[13] In most cases matters were settled out of court.[10][11]

Streetdirectory.com currently operates under Streetdirectory Pte Ltd (a company owned by JDB Group). The company now has a policy of giving away maps to both personal users and businesses.

Company profile

Over 3 million visitors uses Streetdirectory.com monthly to find places and businesses. The Business directory has over 20 million business listings in 11 countries and the map site provides an online building directory for any building.

Apart from running an online site, the consumer arm publishes two popular directory to help businesses reach out to any targeted audience. They are:

- Stationmap which is circulated to 100,000 tourists monthly in Singapore

- Homedirectory which is circulated to over 45,000 landed property homeowners. [14]

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Webtrace, car GPS alarm
  2. ↑ Streetdirectory on Facebook
  3. ↑ Irene Tham (1 August 2008). "Streetdirectory.com back in business". The Straits Times.
  4. ↑ Sol E. Solomon (1 August 2008). "Streetdirectory.com gets new owner". ZDNet Asia.
  5. ↑ "Land Authority sues StreetDirectory.com for copyright infringement", Oo Gin Lee for CNet Blogs, 24 November 2006
  6. ↑ "The roadmap to the courts", Leong Wee Keat, Today for Channel NewsAsia, 24 November 2006
  7. ↑ "Land authority sues online map company", Elena Chong, The Straits Times, 10 January 2006, H6
  8. ↑ "Virtual Map goes to court again", Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 21 August 2007
  9. ↑ Virtual Map shuts down street directory site after losing suit, Chua Hian Hou, The Straits Times, 3 April 2008
  10. 1 2 3 4 "NTUC Income facing legal action over map download", Ho Ka Wei, The Straits Times, 1 February 2004
  11. 1 2 "100 companies sent bills of up to $50,000 for downloading maps from a street directory website", Riyaz Jariwalla, Lawdit Solicitors
  12. 1 2 3 "Singapore: Virtual Map’s Copyright Endorsed by Singapore High Court", Angeline Raj, Mondaq, 25 August 2005
  13. 1 2 "Company loses map-download appeal", Selina Lum, The Straits Times, 3 February 2005
  14. ↑ streetdirectory.com (6 Feb 2012). "Streetdirectory.com Profile". Streetdirectory.com.
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