[OSM-legal-talk] Copyright status of OSM map data - publishable memo for USA

[Ed Avis]

Simon Poole <simon at ...> writes:

>In summary I don't quite see how the report changes anything, summarized 
>it states:
>
>a) maps are copyrightable in the US (not that we didn't know that)
>b) online maps are copyrightable in the US (we assumed that too)
>c) you could make a case that the underlying data of an online map is 
>copyrightable (which we assume to some point for style files and 
>similar... for the actually geographic data it is probably just speculation)

I think it's rather stronger than "you could make a case".  While the report is
couched in conservative lawyer-speak, my understanding from speaking to the two
attorneys is that it's pretty clear: the underlying data of the map falls within
copyright.  If you like, I could send you the full report which addresses OSM
and the ODbL specifically?

-- 
Ed Avis <eda at waniasset.com>