[OSM-legal-talk] moving up the stack

[Richard Fairhurst]

Tom Chance wrote:

> It's a bit like asking: why do free software advocates not want   
> people to run a small business that profits from selling user   
> licenses to their handy shareware utility? There are two answers,   
> both of which I agree with.
>
> 1. Because any licensing arrangement will block certain business   
> models, and ways for non-commercial groups and individuals to use   
> the maps. In the scheme of things, though this may ruin your very   
> tempting vision of your future (how I'd love to do the same some   
> day!), that business model isn't so important that we should cut off  
>  many others. We'll get the data either way.
>
> 2. Because we are interested in providing and promoting free use of   
> the software and data, in protecting and building a vibrant   
> community that can enlarge creative / business / etc. opportunities   
> based on maps and geodata. Re-licensing to suit your business model   
> simply violates that principle.

Ok, I'm trying to follow you here, but please excuse me if I'm being slow.

How does facilitating what I (and others) would like to do cut off  
many other business models? How would it prevent "a vibrant community  
that can enlarge creative/business/etc. opportunities based on maps  
and geodata"?

Again, not rhetorical questions, I'm honestly trying to understand  
your argument... maybe I've not had enough coffee this morning. :(

cheers
Richard

P.S. once again I agree with pretty much all of what Frederik said in  
his last posting, although I'm not sure that at my most idealistic I'd  
ever believe the world should strive for "selling services" to  
completely displace "selling intellectual endeavours"... but that's  
another argument.