[Openstreetmap] Coders needed for similar project & UK FOI act request update.

[Christopher Schmidt]

On Wed, Nov 09, 2005 at 06:54:05PM -0000, Clive Galway wrote:
> Derived work ? As in copyright ? There are no copyright issues here I am
> aware of.
> The only component of this project which isn't open source is the Google
> Maps API

Using mapping data provided by TeleAtlas (the street data on Google
Maps) to annotate locations is creating a derived work: you are using
the data provided by an external data source to plot your points. The
only way in which that isn't the case is the use of Satellite maps to
map data instead.

> TBH I am quite surprised openstreetmap hasn't used google maps as a
> tool.
> It should be pretty easy to plot your stuff over the top of google maps
> to check it for accuracy etc. Plus you could then drag and pan, dynamic
> zoom and all that goodness. Hell you could even "trace" stuff in google
> maps.
> Now THAT may be a derivative work, but they would have to prove where
> you got the data and I don't think that would be possible :P

Ignoring the fact that there may be copyright traps in the data in
question (such that streets on Google Maps are not actually in
existence, designed only to foil copycats), such a derived work would be
illegal to use regardless of whether it could be proven or not.
OpenstreetMap is in the business of trying to create data which is free
to use - tracing Google Maps (or even providing an interface where this
is the primary input mechnaism) is dodgy at best and legally suspect no
matter what.

Any data set created using Google Maps as an input tool is dangerous
legally. OSM is the attempt (as far as I'm aware) to avoid the legal
pitfalls associated with other mapping sources. Using Google Maps is
just a great way to bring all that right back.

(Note: I am just an observer. I'm lucky enough to live in the US, where
street-level data at least is public domain. However, part of my day
job at the moment would benefit greatly from an open source of location
data for other countries, so I watch OSM with great interest.)

-- 
Christopher Schmidt
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/attachments/20051109/848e4129/attachment.pgp>