[OSM-legal-talk] Database and its contents

[Ed Avis]

Emilie Laffray <emilie.laffray at ...> writes:

>Amusingly enough, I don't know of any map providers using copyrights to protect
>their data.

All map providers use copyright to protect their data.  Look at any map online
or offline and you will see a copyright notice, for example

    Map data (c) 2010 Europa Technologies, Google, PPWK, Tele Atlas

Perhaps you mean that they don't use only copyright but also assert every right
that they possibly can, including database rights.  This is quite true.  Usually
a company's legal team will advise them to grab everything, and even to add
additional restrictions not backed by any law.  (Even if they are struck down in
court, you're still no worse off than if you hadn't given it a try.)

Certainly the database right exists in some countries and we need to license it.
That doesn't of itself justify trying to export it to countries which have
(wisely in my opinion) decided not to enact such a right.

As always, the standard reality check applies: if you believe that maps or the
data they represent are not covered by copyright, please start large-scale
photocopying of some commercial maps, or copying the information from them into
another format that you then publish.

-- 
Ed Avis <eda at waniasset.com>