[OSM-legal-talk] Please enable commercial use

[Gervase Markham]

Nathan Vander Wilt wrote:
> I am writing a geotagging application that I hope to sell. When I first 
> found OSM, I was very excited for what I could use it for but as I've 
> followed the discussions I've become a lot more concerned. While there 
> are many users who want their work to be fully in the public domain, it 
> seems that Ordinance Surveyesque FUD concerning derivative works might 
> trump even those users' contributions. I cannot open my tiny company and 
> our potential customers to the viral effects of a broad application of 
> the "Share Alike" intentions under a broad notion of "derivative works". 

The notion of derivative works is a fairly well defined one under 
copyright law. Many, many companies deal with this concept every day.

> The proposed ODL/ODC licenses would clear up some of the grey areas, but 
> not all.

Can you give examples of grey areas that would remain?

> I really would like to see a license as simple as the following:
> 
> For data users -
> 0. Open Street Map collects and creates public domain map data.
> 1. Attribution of Open Street Map is expected. We make it easy.
> 2. Contributing back or freely sharing modifications is very strongly  
> encouraged.

Except that neither 1 or 2 would have any force in law. So this is 
equivalent to PD.

Gerv