Supreme Court of California

The superior court improperly denied plaintiff's petition for writ of mandate to compel defendant-county to provide the OC Landbase, a geographic information system (GIS) database in a GIS file format as a public record for a fee covering only the direct cost of duplication, where: 1) although GIS mapping software falls within the ambit of the computer software exclusion under the California Public Records Act, a GIS-formatted database like the OC Landbase at issue here does not; and 2) accordingly, such databases are public records that, unless otherwise exempt, must be produced upon request at the actual cost of duplication.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/08/2013
• Published 07/08/2013

Judges

• LIU

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel