[OSM-talk] [Osmf-talk] Attribution guideline status update

Phil Wyatt phil at wyatt-family.com
Sun Dec 29 06:13:09 UTC 2019


Hi Folks,

It is very carefully worded (re the some attributions) in the following page

https://docs.mapbox.com/help/how-mapbox-works/attribution/

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Mapbox wordmark
The Mapbox wordmark is a small image containing the stylized word "Mapbox". It typically resides on the bottom left corner of a map. While you may move the wordmark to a different corner of the map, we require the Mapbox wordmark to appear on our maps so that Mapbox and its maps get proper credit. If you wish to otherwise move or remove the Mapbox wordmark, contact Mapbox sales.

Text attribution
The text attribution contains at least three links: © Mapbox, © OpenStreetMap and Improve this map. This attribution is strictly required when using the Mapbox Streets tileset due to OpenStreetMap's data source ODbL license. Some other Mapbox-provided tilesets require additional attribution which is stored in the TileJSON of the tileset.

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I think what many people are suggesting is that the attribution cant be behind an I icon or similar. I have noted that on wider screens the correct attribution is shown but as screen size gets smaller it MAY disappear (to behind the I Icon or similar) on SOME sites or SOME operating systems. I think the size is 600 pixels or thereabouts. Is this the "issue" you really want resolved? Very easy to test on any PC screen. If I rotate my mobile device the full attribution is often there whilst behind some icon in portrait mode.

This is all up to the developer of the site or app I would suggest, not Mapbox or any other tile provider, who in general provide good documentation spelling out when Open Street Map attribution is required. Maybe OSM needs to develop its own "wordmark" and insist that is used instead, but it will face the same issues.

To me this also leads to a question - is there some other technical way that OSM can ensure attribution when its data is used. The text from Mapbox above suggests that in some Mapbox provided tilesets attribution requirements are stored in TileJSON for the tileset.

NOTE: - I am no coder, just a OSM editor but I do know that many of these 'requirements" are easy to avoid so you really are just relying on goodwill unless you want to start taking legal action against non compliers. I suspect many would want the precious funds that OSMF holds to go to more worthwhile causes.

My 2 cents worth

Cheers - Phil


-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Eisenberg <joseph.eisenberg at gmail.com> 
Sent: Sunday, 29 December 2019 3:28 PM
To: OpenStreetMap talk mailing list <talk at openstreetmap.org>
Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] [Osmf-talk] Attribution guideline status update

Re: Mapbox's response:

"There are also some customers who have white-labeled in which they don't have to provide some attributions."

What does it mean for a customer to have [been] white-labeled? Is this like a white-list of customers who have paid extra so that they don't have to attribute Mapbox, perhaps? Or am I misunderstanding this phrase?

However, Openstreetmap does not have any exception for certain customers to skip attribution because they paid a certain amount to Mapbox or even to the OSMF.

Perhaps if many of Mapbox's customers are really unwilling to add attribution, we could change the license to allow database users to pay for the privelege of not providing appropriate attribution. But right now this is not allowed by the current license.

Joseph Eisenberg

Disclosure: I have no personal financial interest in Openstreetmap, though I do spend lots of time and some real money on it (internet service fees, new laptop, etc), and I sometimes try to get humanitarian organisations and businesses here in Indonesia to start using Openstreetmap data, with appropriate attribution.

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