On Oct 12, 2004, at 11:37 AM, Andre Engels wrote:
However, the creative work in creating a map is in the
search of map
symbols - the colour and thickness of the lines, the precision in
which they are drawn, etcetera. The spatial data on which the map is
based are not part of the 'creative' work on the map.
Andre Engels
Grin wrote:
Collecting and creating spatial data is indeed creative work, however,
most of the spatial data needed are not copyright - but are generated
by governments (USGS quads for example) and can be turned into maps.
This is a fundamental wiki process - and indeed a fundamental open
source process: isolate the creative component which "protects"
information, that is, withholds it from the public. Duplicate that
component, and include the public domain information which has been
"fenced in" by the small amount of copyrightable material.
In the case of mapping, that's conerting PD spatial data where it
exists into visual maps. Where there is no PD spatial data, then we
have to do more. But much of what people want can be accomplished by
the above mechanism. We should not attempt to appropriate copyright
material on the argument that it isn't very copyright, on the other
hand, we should be very aggressive in making sure that every particle
of what is in the intellectual commons is accessible.
Thanks for the pointers people, I will draft a proposal to the people
working on the problem.