[OSM-talk] [OSM-legal-talk] License Change View on OSM Inspector

[Frederik Ramm]

Adam,

On 12/13/2011 09:39 PM, Adam Hoyle wrote:
> Is the process for deciding whether or not to delete a node set in
> stone? I am fairly sure that I have moved the majority of those nodes
> from where they were originally (I am fairly sure because there was
> originally only 1 path on OSM going up the hill when there are 2
> different paths on the ground), so surely if I moved them from their
> original position they can't be deleted just because the specific node
> id in the database was originated by someone else?? that's crazy -
> what's the logic behind that decision - shouldn't the check ensure that
> they are at least in the same place as the originator positioned them?

This is an argument put forward by a number of contributors and it 
certainly has something going for it.

My usual counter-example is: Assume I highlight a river in my editor and 
move the whole thing by one metre - leaving all the curves, bends, and 
zigzag shapes that the original mapper placed there intact - does that 
then afford me, exclusively, the copyright for all the nodes (if there 
is any at all)?

I think that while we probably cannot ok such nodes wholesale, we should 
give individuals (like you) the option of saying (like you did above) "I 
think that while this may technically look like it was using nodes from 
user X, it isn't really", and then that's that.

It is important to note that the OSM Inspector view is not the final 
word - not even an "official word" - on the question of what gets 
deleted. It is just my interpretation of the current situation.

Bye
Frederik

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00'09" E008°23'33"