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Licence/Licence and Legal FAQ: Difference between revisions

Small restructuring, added text on using google
m (typos)
(Small restructuring, added text on using google)
* Example 2: You notice that a boundary is different in your data and OpenStreetMap. You should check back to original authoritative sources and make any correction required.
 
===I would like to import data XYZ, can I just go ahead?===
 
No.
* You need to consult with the OpenStreetMap community as to whether the data is relevant and can be imported in a manner that improves rather than degrades our map. See our OpenStreetMap Community [http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Import/Guidelines Import Guideline]
 
===Can third-party ODbL-licensed data be imported?===
 
Yes, in principle it can.
 
As with any other data import, if the licence is incompatible with future distribution licences the relevant data will be removed. This should always be a factor in deciding whether a particular import is worthwhile.
 
==Can I copy from google or other similar sources?==
 
No.
 
Only sources for which we have explicit permission (for example global aerial imagery provided by bing and Mapbox) or which is out of copyright (often difficult to determine) or has licence terms that are compatible with our distribution licence may be used.
 
Specifically there are no services provided by google that have terms of service or licences that allow them to be used. Further google services are not a reliable source of geographic data, they are vehicles for transporting advertising and gathering behavioural data and tend to be biased in many ways.
 
Do not forget that OpenStreetMap is not a project to explore legal grey areas of copyright and contract law, it is a global project to provide free to use, open and legally untainted geo data, please do endanger it by trying to take shortcuts.
 
 
 
==What should my lawyer look at?==
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