[Osmf-talk] A Modest Proposal - OSM(F) should **NOT** adopt a copyright/database licence

[Arun Ganesh]

One of the most friendly digital communities I have had the pleasure to
interact with is the CCC. Even if they had a CoC, it does not seem like
many know of it, but often have mentioned one guiding principle: "Be
excellent to each other"

Even if we were to go by such a simple idea, there would be so many
messages and remarks on the OSM mailing lists and changeset discussions
that would fall far short of us being excellent to each other. It is often
made to feel that those mapping communities that use Facebook and Slack for
communication, or those who engage in organized mapping are somehow not
part of the "real" community. In such a situation, the hope to build a more
global resilient network is already lost.

I feel a CoC will make all of us a little more aware of how we are actually
building a diverse community, and empowers each one of us to be excellent
to each other even if we don't have a single edit on the map.

On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 12:55 AM, Rory McCann <rory at technomancy.org> wrote:

> All this discussion of code of conducts has highlighted an important
> topic, about rules, about norms and restrictions. And I have a modest
> proposal for preventing the copyright from being a burden on OSM, and
> for making OSM beneficial to the publick.
>
> It's high time we got rid of these rules. They only stifle free speech,
> and cause endless problems for users. they are vague, They only restrict
> what people do, and which has never been used.
>
> I'm talking, of course, of the ODbL! We don't need a copyright/database
> licence! Even the name (intellectual property) sounds scary to me! How
> can you own that! Any copyright licence will make people more or less
> auto censure. They'll be afraid to publish software, or new data.
> Copyright/database licences are fine for some things, but surely a
> culturally, and globally diverse community like us can never find a
> common licence which will suit everyone, which will apply everywhere.
>
> I don't think there's been a single court case where the ODbL (or old
> CC-BY-SA licence) was used or needed.
>
> I would see any "intellectual property trial" as some sort of modern day
> inquisition, with high prices to enter, with old stuffy men in funny
> robes and wigs making obscure decisions under the threat of imprisonment
> or theft!
>
> Some will think I am suggesting a "public domain"/CC0 licence, but
> that's still accepting copyright law! It's time we threw it out!
>
> The only winning move is to not play!
>
> We just don't need it! To the dustbin of history with it all! No CoCs!
> No Licences!
>
> --
>
> Dr. Rory Swift
>
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>
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