[Imports] Permission Statement

[Paul Johnson]

On Thu, Mar 12, 2020 at 6:30 PM Greg Troxel via Imports <
imports at openstreetmap.org> wrote:

> Brian May <bmay at mapwise.com> writes:
>
> > We (OSM-US) should really have a state by state guide on open records
> > laws per state. That would make the "license check" process
> > easier. Look up the state, get an answer. At least a quick answer to
> > start from.
>
> Agreed in principle, but I think "open records" is off base.  The real
> issue is copyright, not whether we have a legal right to demand map data
> held by the government.
>

I'll back this up.  Also, check with your state, because it might be a
difference with no distinction.  From firsthand experience, if it's open
(as opposed to confidential) state data and you can request it, you can
copy it in Oklahoma and Oregon.   Relevant laws are 51 OK Stat § 51-24A
(inclusive of whole section) (2014) and ORS 192.410 through 192.505.

Bonus, Oregon requires open formats.  So, if you request geodata from them,
it *probably* isn't available in OSM format already, but it *is* probably
available in a widely used, if not open, format to start with.  Which is
probably why most of the useful bits from Oregon's GIS have already been
imported to OSM, often by state or regional agencies (most notably, Metro
Region and Trimet).

Notable unusual examples of confidential state data are land title
descriptions in Oklahoma and voter data in Oregon, neither of which are
particularly useful for OSM purposes.
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