[Talk-GB] Finding Unmapped public rights of way

Phil Endecott spam_from_osmgb at chezphil.org
Wed Jul 31 12:50:58 UTC 2013


Robert Whittaker wrote:
> I assume that these digitised PRoW Maps from local councils are
> released under the OS OpenData License. That being the case, please
> note that Ordnance Survey have recently stated that their "OS OpenData
> licence is not forward compatible with the ODC-By and ODbL" [1]. Hence
> these datasets cannot currently be used as direct sources for
> contributing to OSM.

I absolutely agree that the paths from these maps cannot be imported
into OSM with the current licensing.  This is clear.

However, it would be great if we could use them just to add the
"designation=public_footpath" tags to paths that have already been
surveyed.

Do people think it would be acceptable to, for example, view a paper
definitive map at the local council office, and then update the
designation tags manually?

If that's allowed, surely it is possible to construct an argument that
an automated equivalent process using the digital versions of the maps
is allowed.

Is it possible to claim that while the geometry of the path is derived
from the OS, the fact of it being a public footpath is something added
by the local authority; if OSM substitutes its own path geometry, the
OS intellectual property is removed.  Ideally, the local authority
would then disclaim any rights (or adopt the plain OGL) over the remaining
data: after all, they are only using the OS licence because of the OS-
derived elements.

Hmmm, that's not too convincing.  Maybe someone else can come up with
a better argument.



Cheers,  Phil.







More information about the Talk-GB mailing list