Newscoop

Dealing with GeoNames license

Details

  • Type: Task Task
  • Status: Closed Closed
  • Priority: Major Major
  • Resolution: Fixed
  • Affects Version/s: 3.5.0
  • Fix Version/s: 4.0.0
  • Component/s: Geolocation
  • Security Level: Everyone
  • Labels:
    None

Description

GeoNames data are licensed under CC-BY. It is not compatible with GPL, but we need to use the GeoNames data, and we use them now. Thus we shall
* mention that we use that data - where?
* probably put the data into an add-on package


http://download.geonames.org/export/dump/readme.txt
"""
Readme for Geonames.org :
=========================

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License,
see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The Data is provided "as is" without warranty or any representation of accuracy, timeliness or completeness.
...
"""

Some another "terms" can be find at http://www.geonames.org/export/#terms
"cc-by licence (creative commons attributions license).
You should give credit to GeoNames when using data or web services with a link or another reference to GeoNames."

Issue Links

depends on

Bug - A problem which impairs or prevents the functions of the product. CS-4006 Release tarball does not credit third-party authors or mention other licenses in root directory

  • Blocker - Blocks development and/or testing work, production could not run.
  • Closed - The issue is considered finished, the resolution is correct. Issues which are closed can be reopened.

Activity

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Daniel James added a comment -
I have added a line about the source of this data in the introduction to the manual. It should also be mentioned in a COPYING file in the root of the source tarball, along with all the other
licences (there are lots, see http://wiki.sourcefabric.org/display/CS/3rd+Party+Licensing)

All these licences should also be mentioned in the packaging somewhere, but the GPL permits GPL-incompatible code or data to be distributed with a GPL program like Newscoop as long as it is not 'intimate':

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#MereAggregation

So I don't think this CC-BY license prevents the package from being distributed, because Newscoop could still function if the GeoNames data wasn't there.
Show
Daniel James added a comment - I have added a line about the source of this data in the introduction to the manual. It should also be mentioned in a COPYING file in the root of the source tarball, along with all the other licences (there are lots, see http://wiki.sourcefabric.org/display/CS/3rd+Party+Licensing) All these licences should also be mentioned in the packaging somewhere, but the GPL permits GPL-incompatible code or data to be distributed with a GPL program like Newscoop as long as it is not 'intimate': http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#MereAggregation So I don't think this CC-BY license prevents the package from being distributed, because Newscoop could still function if the GeoNames data wasn't there.
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Daniel James added a comment -
Do we use all the GeoNames data, or just the country list? If we want to use the whole lot, a separate package would be justified, as there's a lot of data there, but it would be static data. I notice GeoNames offers an enterprise web service for 60 euros a month. http://www.geonames.org/products/premium-data.html
Show
Daniel James added a comment - Do we use all the GeoNames data, or just the country list? If we want to use the whole lot, a separate package would be justified, as there's a lot of data there, but it would be static data. I notice GeoNames offers an enterprise web service for 60 euros a month. http://www.geonames.org/products/premium-data.html
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Paul added a comment -
The CC-BY license is for the data, which is not software. License incompatibilities do not apply in this case. However we do need to mention that we use it somewhere.
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Paul added a comment - The CC-BY license is for the data, which is not software. License incompatibilities do not apply in this case. However we do need to mention that we use it somewhere.
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Martin Saturka added a comment -
Data are software too, you have to obey their licenses too. For example, you can find e.g. games which are released for free, but you have to pay for game data.
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Martin Saturka added a comment - Data are software too, you have to obey their licenses too. For example, you can find e.g. games which are released for free, but you have to pay for game data.
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Martin Saturka added a comment -
We should mention it at our readme file and during installation.
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Martin Saturka added a comment - We should mention it at our readme file and during installation.
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Martin Saturka added a comment -
GeoNames.org is mentioned during installation (database phase) and at geo-search input (as title).
Please put it into our main README.txt too.
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Martin Saturka added a comment - GeoNames.org is mentioned during installation (database phase) and at geo-search input (as title). Please put it into our main README.txt too.
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Sebastian Šimon added a comment -
tested on newscoop 4.0.0 and reloated version of tageswoche.ch
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Sebastian Šimon added a comment - tested on newscoop 4.0.0 and reloated version of tageswoche.ch

People

  • Assignee:
    Sebastian Šimon
    Reporter:
    Martin Saturka
    Implemented by:
    Holman Romero
    Tested by:
    Sebastian Šimon
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Dates

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    Updated:
    Resolved:

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