[OSM-legal-talk] Clarifying Geocoding and ODbL

[Olov McKie]

I too would like to see a clarification of "geocoding" and and the leagal issues surronding it. I think there are different types of geocoding and clear definitions are necessary. Built and added on the earlier suggestions in this thread, this is my proposal for addition to the Community guidelines:


Geocoding
The process of finding and storing the latitude and longitude coordinates for an entity. 

Automatic geocoding
A program taking some form of entity or location description (e.g. a typical written address), searching for an appropriate match in the OSM or an OSM-derived database, and then returning the latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the matching OSM object. 

Manual geocoding
A person using an OSM map to find the latitude and longitude coordinates associated with a point or an area, normally by clicking, drawing or similarly marking where that point or area is on a map. As an example, the process of marking the point or area could be very similar to adding a new POI or area to OSM using the iD in-browser editor, but instead of uploading the additions to OSM, the coordinates and metadata are stored somewhere else. Manual geocoding can also be done completely whitout computer support for instance by reading coordinates of a printed paper map based on OSM data.


Geocoding and license implications
Manual geocoding of an entity that a person has prior local knowledge of, is the same process as adding a new entity to the OSM, and as such the person geocoding the entity retains their full copyright over the geocoded entity. All other geocoding results in a Produced Work, as that term is defined in the ODbL. Section 4.5 provides that a Produced Work is not subject to the share-alike provisions of Section 4.4 of the ODbL.


/Olov