[OSM-legal-talk] CTs are not full copyright assignment

[Ed Avis]

Grant Slater <openstreetmap at ...> writes:

>>- block anyone who says no from contributing
>>and presto! you have your 2/3 majority of active contributors.

>Reality check... So to "steal" all our precious data and kick the
>majority of the contributors the "stupid evil OSMF" you propose would
>have to shut down people contributing and joining OSM for 9 MONTHS
>before they could run such a rigged system.

You're right, it is a fanciful and unrealistic example, at least from the point
of view of keeping a running OSM project with contributors.  It would be a way
to get a static copy of the map under any terms wanted.

However, what I hope people realize is that these 'evil conspiracy theory'
arguments are the same ones used to assert that CC-BY-SA doesn't protect the
data, any company could just copy it, and so on, despite not a shred of evidence
that this has happened.  I wish people would apply a more realistic perspective
and 'assume good faith' a little bit more in these matters too.  All I intended
to demonstrate is that no amount of legalese and boilerplate in the licence or
contributor terms will block out all possible abuses, so we should lighten up
a bit.

But you're right and I apologize for the unwarranted snarkiness.

-- 
Ed Avis <eda at waniasset.com>