[Osmf-talk] my views on the ODbL

Simon Ward simon at bleah.co.uk
Sun Dec 6 23:57:27 UTC 2009


On Sun, Dec 06, 2009 at 08:31:26AM +1100, Elizabeth Dodd wrote:
> From an Australian point of view, the government data we have imported is CC-
> by-SA. We have no leverage to try to alter this. Getting the data at was a 
> major concession.

To me, this is a problem of large and not well thought out data imports,
and not a problem with the licensing.  Whatever happens, you import data
to Openstreetmap, it should be for Openstreetmap.  If Openstreetmap’s
evolution involves a licence change that most believe to be for the
better, why should your data, agreed to be imported with rigid licensing
conditions, win?

If you don’t agree to Openstreetmap’s own terms, you have the existing
OSM data, you have your other data, combine them, it doesn’t have to be
in Openstreetmap. I find the success of Openstreetmap valuable, but
beyond that, it’s not just Openstreetmap that’s valuable, it’s free
geodata, and beyond that it’s free data.  The great thing about free
data is that you can use it elsewhere, and not have one entity
monopolise it.

Simon
-- 
A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a
simple system that works.—John Gall
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