[OSM-talk] A reliable process for handling OSM license violations

[Serge Wroclawski]

Sorry I didn't see this thread until today, and I have some thoughts on it.

On Sun, Mar 20, 2011 at 1:49 PM, Michael Collinson <mike at ayeltd.biz> wrote:
> There are now at least 1 to 2 reports every month of folks not giving us
> proper CC-BY-SA attribution.  These are mostly websites but include poster
> advertising, a TV advertisement and a TV show.

> We need a reliable process for dealing with these.

I'm glad the OSMF is taking this situation seriously.

> Currently, the License Working Group has been doing some work but it feels
> that it is not dealing with the issues adequately and some issues not at
> all.
>
> What should we do?

I've suggested this in the past, but I think we need a multi-pronged approach.

First, I think the OSMF has a role to play in some of these
activities, like the Python Foundation is going, creating a pamplet to
hand out. It could explain what OSM is, and how to use its work.

Second, I think the right approach is to try to handle infractions
against the license in the most efficient way possible, and I think
that's really working with the third party map providers to ensure
they're educated on the matter and that they have a system in place to
handle customers who don't take compliance seriously. To do this I
think the OSMF could make a program/seal of approval and work with the
various map providers on this issue, including ensuring they have a
process for handling compliance, and encourage the community to use
these organizations who have shown a commitment to the project.

Third, I think we need to remember that the moment a violation occurs,
that it's not a license violation anymore, but rather a simple
copyright violation, and that each and every one of us who contributes
is a copyright holder in this collective work. The CT will help in the
future, but there's nothing stopping any one of us from standing up
for our copyrighted work. The mechanism for that changes per country.
In the US, even though I've been fighting against it for a long time
(http://bit.ly/dMpPGJ), the DMCA provides a straightforward mechanism
for handling copyright violations, which include license violations.

- Serge