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by freehunter 4482 days ago
If you kept reading, you'd see them answer this question directly:

If we dropped share-alike, nothing would stop players like Google or Apple from mixing OpenStreetMap data extensively into their mobile maps. And this is a good thing. OpenStreetMap's opportunity is not to compete and win against the Google Maps of the world, but to say what's on their maps.
3 comments
alrs 4482 days ago
No. I really don't care to help Google or Apple, and I would prefer it if their proprietary mapping solutions failed. I don't want OSM data in their products.
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yellowbkpk 4482 days ago
Who should get to use OSM data then? If you don't want to see Google or Apple use OSM data, then who do you think should?

At this point the only users of OSM data are creating differently-colored maps based on OSM data. No one has attempted to go above and beyond that into improving the map data because of the licensing implications.

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alrs 4482 days ago
Apple and Google are totally allowed to use OSM data, they just can't close it up, DRM it, and stick it in an app store.

Mozilla is going "above and beyond" to build a dataset of wifi ap mac addresses and cell towers on top of OSM.

https://github.com/mozilla/MozStumbler

https://wiki.mozilla.org/CloudServices/Location

There is no shortage of OSM-based apps available on f-droid:

https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=openstreetma...

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1ris 4482 days ago
People who prefer the better maps?

And, yes no commercial operator has improved the map data, because of the license. But do you think these people/enties will suddenly give back just because they are no longer required to do so? Sorry, but I don't see much sense in this.

And by the way: This is wrong. There was a proprietary renderer that produced very nice maps with a combination of OSM data and non free relief data.

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oftenwrong 4482 days ago
Google and Apple can use OSM data. They just cannot use it to improve their own data. I think that is fine. If they want to improve their own data, they will have to improve OSM.
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1ris 4482 days ago
Nothing stops Apple from mixing OpenStreetMap data extensively into their mobile maps with a share alike model. They just don't want to. And why should I change my mind and not Apple? I'm not making any money from this, so i think it's Apples move.
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pessimizer 4482 days ago
Why is that a good thing, and is it really OSM's goal to power all of the maps in the world? Why?
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