[OSM-talk] OSMF: The people you are going to hand over your OSM data ...

[SteveC]

On Dec 7, 2009, at 10:06 AM, Michael Barabanov wrote:

> I wonder how easy it is in fact to usefully take the OSM data without giving things back, even with the current license.  Seems to me, not so easy. OSM data is not perfect. To create a value-add, a commercial entity would have to extend it.  So let's say they do in some non-trivial way (e.g. not just copy the data wholesale or just create POIs).
> The next few updates of OSM in the area in question will likely break those extensions, as there doesn't seem to be a way to merge non-trivial changes (e.g. topology changes).
> The best course of action for such a commercial entity would be to contribute things back then.

I take your point, but right now you can basically assume Google is infinitely smart with infinite resources unless it's something that involves a community, as we've seen. And PD wouldn't involve one.

Yours &c.

Steve