[odc-discuss] Copyright status of OSM map data

Thu Dec 15 16:55:42 UTC 2011

On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 11:49 AM, Richard Fairhurst
<richard at systemed.net> wrote:
> The road outside my house is mapped with a geometry
> following its centreline to the limitations of the source material
> available, tagged with a name clearly marked on a street sign, and with a
> road class ("highway=") chosen by following clear precedent and criteria.

That covers one road.  What about everything else?

> “Labeling” (tagging) is an unoriginal activity based on observation of
> “what’s on the ground”, that cardinal OSM rule.

For people unfamilar with this rule, I should state it.  "If the
dispute can not be resolved through discussion, then the simple
default rule is that whatever name, designation, etc are used by the
people on the ground at that location are used in the non-localized
tags."

> The wider misperception is that the change to ODbL is principally driven
> by a belief that no protection would be available in the US without a
> contract-based "licence". That is not the case.

It's not the principle driver, but it's the way it has been promoted.