[UK] Post code data to be free in 2010

"It is a separate government department that is now financed through data licensing rather than direct funding from the tax payer"

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tra...

Having said that, public sector organisations licence data like everyone else, and that money does come from the taxpayer. However, if the Ordnance Survey were a private company then this situation would be the same.

"Harry Metcalfe, who helped sites get at postcode data, said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the decision to open up the OS data sets. "The 'how' is terribly important, quite easily the difference between a fantastic data release and a waste of time," he said. He said it would "possibly" be enough to help websites that want to use postcode data. "Maybe probably." he said. "It will be if it's done right."