In 1998 I contacted the Norwegian television company NRK and introduced to them a symbol that indicated the absence of the Sun in Polar Regions during the depth of winter. The symbol has later been adapted by both the NRK, TV2 and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, and has been a permanent feature in Norwegian weather maps over the recent years.
I explained to the NRK how the placement of the Sun in Northern regions during winter was meaningless, because although there were no clouds the Sun would never become visable above the horizon. By introducing the Half-Sun below the horizon, the Norweigan weather maps had a possibility to illustrate how the winter darkness crept southward out through late Autumn, before it once again started to retreat after the Winter solstice.

The symbol has been built upon and adapted by other meteorological symbols since. It's usage is presently being discussed at yr.no: http://www.yr.no/nyheter/1.6828872

Unfortunately, the NRK forgot to give credit to the person who originated and has the rights to the symbol. Fortunately, I have material that goes back over several years - and I am still working to get that one sorted out. In my mind it is an example where astrology and/or an astrologer makes a contribution to society that quite easily coud be recognized and put into its correct context. Either way I have a nice smile every time the symbol appears on the evening Weather Map.

I thought I draw your attention to this post again, because the symbol has once again appeared in the Norwegian weather charts. A few weeks ago it turned up over Spitzbergen at 78N, but now also over the northern areas of the mainland as the Sun will draw South and below the horizon before it once again turns north at the Winter Solstice.

The NRK's juridicial department sent me an email less than two weeks ago and we will continue to examine whether the mistakes regarding rights made when the solution was presented can be settled.

Andrew wrote:
Either way I have a nice smile every time the symbol appears on the evening Weather Map.

Imagine it will be an even bigger smile if you win your case and start getting royalties every time the symbol is displayed on TV!

Mark

I found an archieve clip from 2003 that shows the symbol in use in 2003:

http://www.nrk.no/magasin/humor/1.3185182

Or why not enjoy the beautiful Inger-Lise Aasen as she presents the Norwegian weather for November 28. 2010 and shows how the symbol decorates our present weather map:

http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/indeks/239875/

An update on this case:
A meeting was held on Feb.2 with a legal representative of the NRK, Mr. Thomas Myhr, to try and disclose what had happened in regard to the creation of the weather-map symbol and reach some sort of mutual understanding. Both parties were troubled by the long time and years that had passed since the event in question. The meeting began with Mr. Myhr apologizing on behalf of the NRK for the long time it had taken by to address my complaint. One of their problems with reviewing the issue so many years was that most of the staff had in fact been changed, so nobody could actually recall the sequence of events or relate to how the symbol occured or where it had come from. The number of years passed was the cause of similar problems for myself. Over the years valuable documentation of previous communication had been lost that it appears may have been stored on an old harddisc or laptop, but both had collapsed.

Mr. Thomas Myhr provided a recording of weather forcasts from the NRK dated Dec 20. 1996 and Jan 4. 1997. This proved that the symbol had been used prior to 1998, which was the time in my recent communication with the NRK had referred to as when I recalled having offered them the solution. Due to the mentioned loss of data, the only hard evidence I now could provide was a letter sent to the NRK on Dec 31. 2005 that refered to what had happened some time from 8 to 10 years ealier (which would have been 1996-1998) and asking for an explaination. I claim to have sent them letters with more specific details on previous occasions, but failed to provide such evidence.

However, I did after our meeting manage to recover a letter sent to the Norwegian TV2 dated as early as Nov 25.1993, that showed I already at that time had been working on a graphic solution to the problem, although the suggestion I had sent to TV2 was another than the symbol later to be forwarded the NRK.

The NRK did not find that they could give any form of credit or acknowledgement for the in view of the available evidence, yet would reconsider the matter if such material happened to surface. Again, they apologized for the time it had taken to look into the matter. Personally, I think they may have acknowledged my contribution in the sense that I proved within reasonable doubt that the NRK had not responded correctly at the time, nor later, in accord with a practice of good routine. However, I still have bundles of notes and files packed away and I will have an agile eye to see whether I can spy anything that relates to the matter.