[OSM-legal-talk] A case for CT + CC-BY-SA

[Ed Avis]

Steve Coast <steve at ...> writes:

>Therefore I think it's going to require you to release the full 
>instructions too. I'm guessing it's an email thread?

For the UK, yes.  For the US I have done the consultation with the two
attorneys in a couple of long phone calls which I did not record.  However,
I expect the work they produce for me to give the question as well as an
answer.  I made clear that I want their best-researched opinion and not to
promote any particular viewpoint (I am sure this does not need stating but
I did so anyway to be on the safe side).

In general I do not think a lawyer is able to produce 'biased' answers in
the usual sense.  There is far too much hot water he or she could get into
for not giving a fair shake to all sides of the argument, and this is ingrained
into the way lawyers think.  But still the way you ask the question can affect
the result because of this very caution.

"We have produced a free map.  Can we distribute it under CC-BY-SA and know that
some big evil company won't take it and not give back?"

"I am a big evil map company.  Can I take this CC-BY-SA data and not give back?"

These questions appear to be opposites, but the answers may well be 'no and no'.
So I have tried not to phrase the question in either of those ways but to ask
in a more general way about scope of copyright.

-- 
Ed Avis <eda at waniasset.com>