[OSM-legal-talk] Copyright status of OSM map data - initial results

[Rob Myers]

On 09/09/11 22:33, Ed Avis wrote:
> Rob Myers <rob at ...> writes:
> 
>>> In the US, the two lawyers found that the OSM map data is
>>> copyrightable.  They mentioned the explicit inclusion of maps in
>>> copyright law 
>>
>> But geodata is not a map, and the copyright on the database is not the
>> copyright on its contents.
> 
> As I understood it, the precedents they found showed that copyright does cover
> the geodata contained in the database, and is not dependent on having a paper
> map or the difference between database and contents.  However I didn't have
> time to go over these matters in depth.
> 
> If the written report doesn't address your concern, would you like to join in
> a conference call with the legal team so you can put it to them directly?
> I expect I could arrange this.

Oh cool. No, if the precedents cover it that addresses my comment above.

Thanks.

- Rob.