[OSM-talk] License to kill

[SteveC]

On 4 Mar 2009, at 04:01, Peter Miller wrote:
> My main criticism in relation to license Steve is not that you are  
> 'evil' but that you have been absent. Your last post in relation to  
> the license on legal-talk was over three months go (25th Nov).
>
> Given that you are the only person who has attended meetings with  
> 'our' lawyer and that until recently even the other directors of the  
> foundation were in the dark we need your input urgently. Even now,  
> we have other foundation directors asking questions about the  
> license on legal-talk - very strange.

I think it's a mischaracterisation so say they were or are in the  
dark. We have for example a working group putting together the SOTM. I  
don't know every detail but when I ask there are answers... I  
certainly don't say I'm 'in the dark'.

> To help you we (ie the wider OSM community) have been maintaining  
> and developing the legal side of the wiki over the past 6 months.  
> Few of us have been in on the process so it would be handy if you  
> were able to cast your eye over all the pages that relate to the  
> ODbL and make any corrections that are necessary. They are all in  
> the Open Data Licence Category:-
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Category:Open_Data_Licence
>
> We have also  collected the key questions and requirements onto two  
> wiki pages.
>
> The Use Cases page has lists in plain english some of the things we  
> want to do with the data and we have had a legal response to some.  
> It would be helpful if you could explain the Use Cases to our lawyer  
> so he can give answers to the ones where he has said 'I need someone  
> to walk me through this one':-
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Open_Data_Licence/Use_Cases
>
> The Open Issues page lists the key questions to which we don't have  
> answers. There is a space below each one where you can provide  
> details from your discussions with 'our' lawyer as to how he sees  
> these questions being addressed:-
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Open_Data_License/Open_Issues

Yes absolutely. Grant can you put this on the agenda for the license  
call please?

> For your interest my company's lawyer (acting for ITO World Ltd) is  
> hoping to have her response together in relation to the license by  
> the end of tomorrow. My company will review her comments and hope to  
> be able to make that document publicly available to the community by  
> the end of this week. She may also give opinion on some Use Cases  
> and Open Issues which could be useful.

Great. Are those opinions in relation to ITO!s business or from the  
point of view purely of the use cases?

Best

Steve