[OSM-talk-be] My first attempt at a boundary

[Ben Laenen]

On Friday 06 December 2013 09:09:12 Wouter Hamelinck wrote:
> OK, I'll bite.
> - If it is not in the Moniteur/Staatsblad it is definitely not a law.
> (reaction to the use of "e.g." and "normally")
> - Yes, you can use the Staatsblad/Moniteur to map things. Not sure how
> you would do that.
> - I am interested to know to which laws you are referring. Especially
> the ones that define the boundaries. I've never found those.

Actually, when a boundary changes, it will be published in the 
Staatsblad/Moniteur (it just doesn't happen very often). 

One example:
http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=nl&la=N&cn=1997121247&table_name=wet

If you follow the "Beeld" link to the pdf, you get the maps as well (starting 
at page 20), but as usual they seem to be unable to properly export pdfs so 
the image quality is horrible.

> - This does NOT imply that something containing boundaries is by
> definition not copyrightable. The colors black and white can not be
> copyrighted. This does not imply that any black and white photograph
> can't be copyrighted. In our case, if someone makes his own
> representation of the boundaries (e.g. a digitization), that is
> definitely copyrighted.

Well, it's still not 100% clear AFAIK, we need to hear from a copyright lawyer 
before I make any conclusions. Facts cannot be copyrighted, but then you'll 
end up with things like a database law, except that would probably be not 
applicable here. But I'm pretty sure that if you get the boundaries from a 
government source, they won't be able to claim any copyright on it (but usual 
IANAL disclaimer). Get them from a commercial map and it can start getting 
tricky.


> - Road signs can not be copyrighted. OK, that means that you can draw
> one without getting sued for it. Not sure what it has to do with
> mapping.

Reminds me that the Flemish government made a database with all traffic signs 
in Belgium, it's just not publicly available. I wonder if they could claim 
copyright on the database if they did make it available...

Ben