Reader Question: Is there a reason that props departments often alter transit maps used in movies?

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Question: Is there a reason that props departments often alter transit maps used in movies? Is it to get around copyright issues?


Answer: Absolutely! Almost every official transit map in the world is copyrighted and owned by the agency it represents. This means that permission – and often, a hefty licensing fee – is required to use the map for commercial purposes. So, rather than go through that, most TV shows/movies will quickly pull together their own version of the transit map they need, with varying results.

See: TV – Leverage, TV – CSI:Cyber, Film: The Escapist

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