[OSM-talk] How is there not any creative-type (US) copyright in OSM data?

[Anthony]

On Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 11:08 AM, OJ W <ojwlists at googlemail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 4:59 PM, Anthony <osm at inbox.org> wrote:
> > We could, however, introduce a "arc" tag...  To represent an arc, you
> only need
> > three points (start, end, and any third point on the arc uniquely defines
> a
> > triangle which is circumscribed by exactly one circle).
> >
> > Of course, I can't copyright this idea...
>
> Not least because only one person is allowed to have each idea, and
> somebody has already had this idea...
>
> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0919788.html
>

Wow.  Are you saying doing this would (possibly?) violate that patent?  If
so, does that mean we can't do it?
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