[OSM-talk] Linky to geograph/OSGB

[Paul Dixon]

Firstly, I feel I'm hijacking the OSM list for Geograph's ends now, and 
I'm wandering into territory which might not be directly useful to the 
majority. I'm happy to take this offlist, just email me direct. Some 
useful points coming up though...

>If I understood the press release right, the website 
>will start to display Ordnance Survey maps this autumn, and I 
>presume this will be used instead of the light green background.  
>  
>
That's actually not something we planned. We've only got access to 1:50K 
raster maps, which aren't much use as an overview if you zoom out.

If we did want to do it, we'd need to ensure photographers granted us 
additional rights to such create derivative works which would not be CC 
licenced. Since our contributors are well aware their images may appear 
on the map, this shouldn't be a huge problem.

>If I capture a screenshot then, I will have a mash-up that is a 
>derivate work of contributed photos and OS maps.  If the photos 
>are licensed using a Creative Commons Share-Alike license (CC-SA), 
>the resulting derivate work must also be CC-SA.  From that 
>screenshot, I can then cut out any part of the map that is not 
>covered with photos, making another derivate work that is also 
>CC-SA.  If done systematically, I might be able to pull out map 
>tiles of most of Britain, that are legally CC-SA.
>  
>

Indeed you could *if* we had the right to licence OS property under a CC 
licence. Which of course we don't.

>  
>
>>I realise that's probably said with tongue-in-cheek, but sue for 
>>what?
>>    
>>
>
>Yes, of course it is.  And yet not.  If my screenshot scheme above 
>fails and the O.S. comes after me for "piracy" of their maps, then 
>I must offload the blame by charging that your website has abused 
>the CC-SA-licensing of my photos by mixing it with copyrighted 
>maps.  That should be enough to shut down your site, which will 
>reflect badly on the O.S.  I have nothing against you, but your 
>site could become a handy tool for throwing dirt on the O.S.
>
Not sure that would achieve an awful lot. Sure, if we broke your licence 
you can use copyright law to come after  Geograph Project Ltd, the 
licencee. We would go under yes, but I'm sure the OS would quickly 
weather any storm a little educational side project going down the tubes 
would cause. But here's where the free-as-in-speech element of open 
licences kicks in - the site software is GPL'd, and those geographs 
would still be "out there" allowing the archive to live on :)

Paul