Open Government Licence

Request

Please provide the following information:

1. Confirmation of whether the content on the webpages on the Supreme Court and Sovereign are licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, as stated.
2. If any content on these webpages is excluded from the OGL v3.0 (as implied by 'except where otherwise stated'), please specify which content is excluded and under what alternative licensing terms it is made available.
3. Details of any agreements or arrangements between The National Archives and the operators of the British Commonwealth website regarding the use of the OGL v3.0 for their content.
4. Clarification on whether the reference to royal.uk on these pages implies any Crown copyright or other licensing considerations, and if so, how these interact with the OGL v3.0.
5. Copies of any internal discussions, emails, or correspondence within The National Archives regarding requests or considerations to ask the operators of the British Commonwealth website to remove links to royal.uk and/or The National Archives’ OGL v3.0 page.
6. Any guidance or correspondence provided by The National Archives to the operators of the British Commonwealth website regarding the application of the OGL v3.0 to their website content or the use of links to The National Archives or royal.uk.
7. Copies of any communications, discussions, or correspondence between The National Archives and HM Treasury regarding the website Commonwealth Pay, particularly in relation to its use of the Commonwealth emblem and the statement 'Taxes collected by HSH Treasury (British Commonwealth) on behalf of HM Treasury (United Kingdom).'
8. Confirmation of whether The National Archives has investigated or verified if the operators of the British Commonwealth website and Commonwealth Pay website are authorized to use the OGL v3.0, particularly given the claims about tax collection and use of the Commonwealth emblem.
9. Details of The National Archives’ processes or policies for monitoring or addressing misuse of the OGL v3.0 by third-party websites, especially those claiming affiliations with official entities such as HM Treasury or the Crown.
10. Clarification on whether The National Archives has any role in overseeing or approving the use of the Commonwealth emblem, and if not, whether concerns about its use on Commonwealth Pay website have been raised with relevant authorities.
11. Copies of any public complaints or inquiries received by The National Archives regarding the use of the OGL v3.0 or links to The National Archives’ website from the British Commonwealth website and Commonwealth Pay website.
12. Any information held by The National Archives about the identity or legal status of the operators of the British Commonwealth website and Commonwealth Pay website. particularly in relation to their use of official symbols or licenses.
13. Copies of any internal discussions, emails, or correspondence within The National Archives regarding the Supreme Congress website, specifically its claim that Vladislav Olegovich Bykov (Archbishop Viktor) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is the 'Lord High Spiritual' of the 'Union State of British Commonwealth,' and whether this claim, combined with the use of the OGL v3.0 on related websites, has prompted any concerns or investigations about the legitimacy of these entities’ affiliations with official UK institutions.

Outcome

Information not held.

Response

I can confirm that The National Archives does not hold this information. We have provided some additional advice and assistance in response to your questions.

1. This information is not held by The National Archives.

Information providers, such as the creators of the webpages listed, are free to choose whether to make their content re-usable under Open Government Licence (OGL) terms.  As the OGL is an open, non-transactional licence, The National Archives does not monitor or validate how it is applied by information providers.

2. This information is not held.

Website providers are responsible for specifying if the content they have published is excluded from OGL terms.

3. This information is not held. Any information provider can enable the re-use of their copyright material under Open Government Licence terms, so an arrangement or agreement with The National Archives is not required.

4. This information is not held.

As stated in the response to question 2, website providers are responsible for clarifying the licensing and copyright arrangements for the content they have published and for specifying if content is excluded. Open Government Licensing terms exempt the re-use of third-party copyright material and logos such as the Royal Arms.  The Open Government Licence also contains a non-endorsement clause that does not grant any right to use the information in a way that suggests any official status or endorsement.

5. This information is not held.

6. This information is not held.

7. This information is not held.

8. This information is not held.

No authorisation is required to license under OGL terms.

9. This information is not held.

Official entities would be responsible for taking action to address claims of affiliation, but The National Archives can provide advice on a case-by-case basis to a Crown information provider that has concerns that the Crown copyright material they have produced has been infringed.

10. This information is not held.

Organisations are responsible for managing the use of their emblems.  The National Archives manages Crown copyright, but emblems are generally protected by other intellectual property rights such as trademarks and design right, which fall outside the scope of TNA’s responsibilities.

11. This information is not held.

12. This information is not held.

13. This information is not held.