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Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

geoapi.com

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Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#21

Post by randomwalker »

fnid wrote: post #20
wooster wrote: post #13

The sticking point with this, as with most geo APIs which depend on non-free data, is the terms of use: "The data in the API is our intellectual property or that of our partners who provided it to us. It is not yours and we are not granting you any broad license to use this data outside of the use of the API." "You agree that you will not, and will not assist or enable others to: a) cache, record, pre-fetch, or other…

This is why I don't understand copyright law. Aren't data facts? Facts can't be copyrighted, right? Where a business is located is a fact. How can they say how someone else can use that fact?

Facts are not copyrighted, but a collection of facts as such may be copyrighted, assuming there is some creative activity involved in compiling the collection. So, a list of the most common English words would be copyrighted, since there is creative effort involved in deciding whether a word is common.

http://www.iusmentis.com/copyright/crashcourse/protection/

Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#22

Post by aw3c2 »

wooster wrote: post #13

The sticking point with this, as with most geo APIs which depend on non-free data, is the terms of use: "The data in the API is our intellectual property or that of our partners who provided it to us. It is not yours and we are not granting you any broad license to use this data outside of the use of the API." "You agree that you will not, and will not assist or enable others to: a) cache, record, pre-fetch, or other…

Well, thankfully there is http://www.openstreetmap.org

Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#23

Post by andrewljohnson »

mariusae wrote: post #3
andrewljohnson wrote: post #2

Why does this only includes 10's of thousands of POIs? Why not include USGS and GeoNames points... there are millions of them. Is this supposed to be strictly urban points?

not at all -- we're aggressively adding datasets, and those are among the ones that are on the top of our list :-)

Groovy, good luck with that!

Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#24

Post by idoh »

fnid wrote: post #20
wooster wrote: post #13

The sticking point with this, as with most geo APIs which depend on non-free data, is the terms of use: "The data in the API is our intellectual property or that of our partners who provided it to us. It is not yours and we are not granting you any broad license to use this data outside of the use of the API." "You agree that you will not, and will not assist or enable others to: a) cache, record, pre-fetch, or other…

This is why I don't understand copyright law. Aren't data facts? Facts can't be copyrighted, right? Where a business is located is a fact. How can they say how someone else can use that fact?

Think contract law, not copyright law.

By signing up, you are making a contract with geoapi. If you violate that agreement, then they'd (potentially) have a case for breach of contract.

Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#27

Post by bbsabelli »

othman wrote: post #17
barmstrong wrote: post #14

It looks good but my biggest unanswered question when I saw it: What's the difference between this and the Google Geocode API?

Hi - it's actually quite different. As of now, we don't (yet) have a forward geocoding api exposed. Rather, most of the API functionality that's live is for backward geocoding. As in, with Google's Geocoder, you give a string and you get back a place. With us, you give a place (i.e. lat/lon) and you get where that place is and what's around it. That being said, a number of people have been pinging us about getting si…

Huh?

New York: http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?q=40.724039,-74.00176

What am I missing here?

Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#28

Post by maxklein »

I want to use this, but I'm afraid I will receive that email: "We're sorry, but due to circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform you that further use of our service will require a monthly subscription fee and the sacrifice of your first born."

Re: Tell HN: We just launched GeoAPI.com (read/write geo API)

#29

Post by qeorge »

fnid wrote: post #20
wooster wrote: post #13

The sticking point with this, as with most geo APIs which depend on non-free data, is the terms of use: "The data in the API is our intellectual property or that of our partners who provided it to us. It is not yours and we are not granting you any broad license to use this data outside of the use of the API." "You agree that you will not, and will not assist or enable others to: a) cache, record, pre-fetch, or other…

This is why I don't understand copyright law. Aren't data facts? Facts can't be copyrighted, right? Where a business is located is a fact. How can they say how someone else can use that fact?

IANAL, but I think you're right. They really can't tell you what to do with public data even if they provided it to you, because as you said you can't copyright facts. Feist Publications vs. Rural Telephone Services is the most relevant case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_Publications_v._Rural_Tel...

It gets hairy though because you are agreeing to their terms of use in return for the API key, and I'm not sure how that factors in. They're well within their rights to refuse service to you, but if you were able to scrape their data without agreeing to their terms, it may be legal.

Of course there's a million other places to get this data, and I'm not suggesting you scrape theirs. But I don't think there's anything stopping you legally, just some FUD in their TOS.

Would be very curious to hear from the site owners on this topic.

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