morwen: (hackney)
Abigail Brady ([personal profile] morwen) wrote2007-07-30 09:28 pm
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well, that was a lot of effort to go to just to get a new userpic. ;)

[identity profile] abigailb.livejournal.com 2007-07-30 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Derived from the OSM data segments, derived in part from my GPS tracks and my notes and from satellite photos.

And yes, but then it wouldn't be free (which is the main object, after all).

[identity profile] annie-lyne.livejournal.com 2007-07-30 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Here's something I don't understand. How can a council/borough/whatever outline be copyrighted? Or should the copyright belong to the council/government, because they are the ones who are drawing up the borders?

The concept of a non-free outline of something seems a little frustrating. I can understand non-free maps because a map has much more to it, but... I don't know.

[identity profile] secretlondon.livejournal.com 2007-07-31 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah I wonder this re: ward boundaries. Who do they belong to? Copyright the boundary commission, the Council - or are they just factual? How can I get a free trace of a ward boundary anyway.. *ponder*

[identity profile] abigailb.livejournal.com 2007-07-31 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
Ward boundaries are typically simple and based on roads, railways, rivers, so if you had a textual description of them, you can reconstruct it.

[identity profile] abigailb.livejournal.com 2007-07-31 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps more relevant is database right (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_right). We might be able to extract a tiny bit of information here and there legally, but if we were to start doing systematically, that would be a major violation. Generally openstreetmap just treats any information as tainted unless it can establish it is definitely free. And hey, it gets me out of the house!