[OSM-talk] Maps and names

[Lars Aronsson]

Collinson Mike wrote:

> On a more positive note, I see that generally protection is only 
> given for 15 complete calendar years from the completion of the 
> database or when it was later made public (although a 
> "substantial change" starts the clock again).

This is important.  You can do a substantial download of names 
from Google Maps now, create proof that you sealed it now, e.g. 
compute an MD5 hash and publish the hash now, store the dump for 
15 years, and then release the dump to the public domain.

The OSMF doesn't need to do this, and probably shouldn't.  It 
should be a private citizen that can keep things hidden for 15 
years.

In fact you can do a separate substantial download every year, 
then release them one after the other, 15 years later.

There are probably thousands of individuals who already do this, 
perhaps not for names from Google Maps, but for other kinds of 
databases where the individual records are not copyrightable, but 
where the database can get this kind of protection.

It's a lot harder to go out and kill a novelist and wait 70 years 
for the copyright to expire.  Fifteen years is nothing for a good 
database.


-- 
  Lars Aronsson (lars at aronsson.se)
  Aronsson Datateknik - http://aronsson.se