[OSM-legal-talk] Series of maps for Angola

Marcus Love marcus_love at sil.org
Fri Jan 20 09:49:57 UTC 2017


To whom it may concern,

 

  I work with SIL International keeping language maps for the Ethnologue
up-to-date for countries in Africa. We are in the process of making a series
of language maps by province in Angola in coordination with the government
of Angola. We are considering using OSM as a background for our maps. In a
way this is a test for us to see how using OSM could work as a basemap for a
future dynamic online map with all of our language polygons around the
world. As far as I'm aware, it shouldn't be a problem to use OSM as a
background with our own surveyed language data overlaying it. As long as we
give proper credit to OSM. In that case, it would be a 'collective
database'. 

 

   The issue that we do have though, is portraying accurate administrative
boundaries. For the most part, and currently in Angola, we use boundaries
derived from old DCW data, which isn't the most accurate. Often language
boundaries coincide with administrative boundaries, so having accurate
boundaries is important. I was thinking, that if I use OSM as a background,
that I could edit the language polygons that we have to follow along OSM
admin boundaries where they coincide. However, if I do that, would it then
make those polygons that I've edited a 'derivative database'? If so, then I
think we can't do that, as we would need to retain the copyright, so that
others wouldn't be free to change the polygons themselves.

 

  If that isn't possible to adapt our language polygons to OSM admin
boundaries without it becoming a derivative database, then we would use
another source for the admin boundaries. Is it possible to use an OSM
background and turn off/toggle the admin boundaries for the basemap?
Otherwise, we will have language boundaries which will be slightly off the
OSM admin boundaries, and wouldn't look that great and might be confusing on
the map.

 

Thanks,

Marcus Love

Mapping Specialist - Africa area

AIM Mapping Information Services
SIL International

 

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