[OSM-legal-talk] [OSM-talk] Community vs. Licensing

Richard Weait richard at weait.com
Wed Sep 1 09:46:36 BST 2010


On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 4:15 AM, 80n <80n80n at gmail.com> wrote:
> Frederik's argument that we cannot predict what future generations will want
> is quite fallacious.

Really?  What will future generations want, 80n?  I predict that
future generations will want "Flying cars" sure, but we were promised
those decades ago.  :)

On the other hand, six-ish years ago there was no concern that we
would have to be compatible with OS data.  Now, they publish open data
and OSM contributors are enthusiastic about it.  You know perfectly
well that OS opened their data in part because OSM changed the very
ground on which OS stands.  You know that perfectly well because you
were and are part of making that change.

The world will continue to change as will the world of Open Geo Data.
OSM will continue to be part of making that change.  And future OSM
contributors will want to adapt to those very changes that they are
making as well.

> We have a responsibility to do the right thing now and
> not leave a mess someone else to sort out later.

Forks and relicensing will always be expensive for open communities.
We have a responsibility to do the right thing and make it slightly
less expensive for future OSM contributors to adapt to the changing
legal environment around them by using a relicensing provision in term
three.  To fail to do so now is to leave a mess for future OSM
contributors.



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