<font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Maybe there is something fundamental that I don't get, but, let me ask a question, please. How is it possible that a location of a road or building or anything can be copyrighted? I understand not copying entire maps, etc., from a source and then claiming it as your own is contrary to copyright, but "facts", and a road location is a fact, not something created from someone's imagination.</font></font><div>
<font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Google itself allows businesses to use tools to correct the location of that business if it is in error on Google's maps. Nobody is copying and distributing Google satellite images, nor are they distributing other Google properties.</font></font></div>
<div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">I think this worry about copyright violations is a knee-jerk reaction and would not stand up in a court of law. Big companies with big law firms backing them up is very intimidating, but that doesn't change the fact that you should be able to refer to a Google map or image to confirm a road location or other geographical entity. I see this as fair use.</font></font></div>
<div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Also, thousands of people around the world have contributed to mapping for Google through efforts around the Haiti and Chile earthquakes. I'd say copyright is a bit dicey in that situation because Google only facilitated the mapping. Also, thousands upon thousands of buildings have been placed in Google Earth, thanks only to users like us. Myself, I have contributed mapping and 3D buildings.</font></font></div>
<div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Is OSM open to the world? If it is, then Google can use OSM data. If Google sued OSM for improving maps using "Google's data" only to integrate that into their own products, that would be major hypocrisy.</font></font></div>
<div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">I'm sick of corporations creating this atmosphere of "we're going to sue your asses off" at the drop of a hat. It's a sad thing, and well-minded people like those contributing to a better world via OSM and other similar projects should not have the spectre of litigation hanging over their heads.</font></font></div>
<div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Take care, all.</font></font></div><div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Craig.</font></font></div>
<div><font color="#003300"><font face="verdana,sans-serif">Anyway, I'm not here to argue a point or start a flame war. <br></font></font><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, May 15, 2010 at 8:35 PM, Andre Marcelo-Tanner <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:andre@enthropia.com">andre@enthropia.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">How can he draw the exact road alignments on a blank map just from what<br>
he knows.<br>
Yes he may know what road is here and there but he can not trace it from<br>
Google Maps or another copyrighted map source. He can not even align it<br>
by comparing it to Google maps and adjusting.<br>
Sure he can add POIs from memory, but road alignment and position is<br>
something that requires a map source with permission or GPS traces correct?<br>
Pls explain to him how if there are maps copied from a copyright source,<br>
OSM can be sued and shutdown by a lawsuit, that is why the organization<br>
is very careful and vigilant about its mapping sources.<br>
He wouldn't want OSM to be shut down right?<br>
<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br></div>