[OSM-legal-talk] Lawyer responses to use cases, major problems

[Simon Ward]

On Sun, Mar 01, 2009 at 05:59:40AM +0000, Jukka Rahkonen wrote:
> I do regularly import some osm data into PostGIS and reproject it inside the
> database.  Would it be enough to tell where to download the original OSM data
> and what script to run, or should I really make a dump from my imported and
> reprojected database tables if someone requests?  The result would be identical.

I think this is reasonable, but I have no idea how, or if, this should
be written into the licence.

> Where actually goes the limit between database and something else? I believe
> that if I convert the data from osm format directly into ESRI Shapefiles then I
> do not have a database, or do I?

You don’t have a relational database.  The collection of Shapefiles
could still be considered a database.

> But if I let ArcGIS to store the shapefile
> data into its own personal geodatabase, then I would have a derived database
> again?  How about if I store some attributes from osm data into Excel vs.
> Access, the latter forms obviously a derived database while the first doesn't?

The software used, or whether or not the work is held in what we might
normally consider a database is not relevant.

From the directive[1], article 1:

    “2. For the purposes of this Directive, 'database` shall mean a
    collection of independent works, data or other materials arranged in
    a systematic or methodical way and individually accessible by
    electronic or other means.”

I would say all of your examples are databases under this definition.

[1]: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31996L0009:EN:HTML

Simon
-- 
A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a
simple system that works.—John Gall
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