[OSM-legal-talk] moving up the stack
Frederik Ramm
frederik at remote.org
Wed Mar 7 16:03:52 GMT 2007
Hi,
> If someone ends up with a map derived from OSM work that they have
> reduced
> freedom to use then freedom has been lost, and this is harmful.
I don't subscribe to that view. Nothing that was possible before
isn't possible anymore, so I see no loss.
> OSM as a database on a server hasn't suffered, but OSM's aims have.
That's only because you have formulated OSM's aims too broadly. At
the very same time, you suggest that someone who cannot use OSM data
should buy data instead. If OSM's aims are hurt whenever a non-free
map is produced, then OSM's aims are hurt just the same, whether that
map is produced from licensed data or from OSM data.
> What would your proposed use add to OSM?
At the very least: Widespread use and popularity, or "market share"
if you will. But more likely, in addition to that, a lot of quality
work on the data that would be shared back.
> And what would it produce that someone couldn't simply reproduce
> from the same data and charge less for than your version?
A book is not just a string of letters. A map is not just computer-
generated data. The cartographer selects data, highlights aspects of
particular importance, chooses fonts, colours, a scale and
projection, styles, judges the overall look and feel, makes
adjustments... the cartographer is at the very least a craftsman, and
sometimes surely an artist.
I'm totally in favour of anyone reproducing anything he wants from
OSM data and selling it for whatever price he deems appropriate. If
the cartographer produces nothing better than can simply be generated
from the database, nobody will buy his stuff. If he is really good,
then his work, and not the data, are the reason people fork out
money. If it were only for the data, they'd get that free of charge
from Google.
> The art is a rendering of the data, cannot be made without it, and
> contains its information.
True.
> It basically is data,
A website "basically is data", and still it may incorporate OSM data
without being subject to the OSM license. That's because it is a
"different kind of data". All the cartographer asks for is the
recognition that his work produces a "different kind of data" than
the OSM stuff he uses.
> The aim of OSM is for everyone to be able to use the data (including
> visual renderings of the data). If an instance of the data
> (including artistic
> renderings of it)
Those "including..."s are disputed.
Bye
Frederik
--
Frederik Ramm ## eMail frederik at remote.org ## N49°00.09' E008°23.33'
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