[Touch Diamond, MDA Compact IV General] low.flying.pigs:
Post 2301 addresses Copyright issues with providing OpenStreetMap based maps in the manner described relating to the content of the maps. Actual usage of any OpenStreetMap based map content in GPS Cycle Computer, as a browsable electronic map, is a separate issue.

The OpenStreetMap mandatory requirement for attribution on any browsable electronic map derived from or inclusive of their raw data has been pointed out on a number of occasions previously by myself, as was that it should have been taken in to account when making any changes to the map screen.

Unfortunately to date, as at 4.12beta22, it has at no time been legitimately possible for any GPS Cycle Computer user to use any such map, however produced or obtained, due to the lack of the required attribution.

For compliance, GPS Cycle Computer requires functionality to overlay the required attribution on the map screen. This is only possible as a function of GPS Cycle Computer itself.

Such attributions are not only necessarily a requirement of OpenStreetMap based mapping, or even the only requirement, as many maps have map file retention requirements. In brief, a relatively simplistic method of how what is required could be accomplished is as follows:

Attribution Requirements:

For instance, OpenCycleMaps, Outdoors, Landscape and Transport maps requires attributions and has a map file retention requirement, not allowing map file retention. See here. The attribution is 'Maps © Thunderforest, Data © OpenStreetMap contributors'.

It is not ideal the attribution must be on screen, or when files cannot be retained. However these requirements must be complied with. The alternative is non compliance which is unacceptable, or no map functionality at all, which would severely restrict the usability of GPS Cycle Computer, and be similarly unacceptable.

There is not any mandatory position in which the attribution must be placed, it only having to be in a 'reasonable place' on the browsable electronic map. Usually this is at the corner of the screen, on the horizontal bottom edge with the text aligned to the right side of the screen.

This would also be a reasonable place for GPS Cycle Computer, with it only remaining to be determined whether to place the attribution above or below the buttons / datasets when these are on screen. If below, the attribution is always in the same place. Above would result in the attribution moving when buttons and or data sets are on screen.

For visual consistency and to compliment existing preferences, options should be provided to control attribution background colour or transparency, and text colour. It should be possible to configure these differently when buttons are on screen or off as the same for both is not necessarily desirable.

The attribution can be shortened for example to ''Maps © Thunderforest, Data © OpenStreetMap' by removing 'contributors', however the prominence must not be interfered with.

Usually the prominence is such that it is non obtrusive, essentially relatively unnoticeable, with the font being small but readable and of a colour contrasting to the background, which is either solid colour or transparent showing the underlying map.

The attribution must be displayed at all times on the browsable electronic map and must not be removable or hidden.

In addition to browsable electronic map attribution, Readme should also contain the applicable attributions.

For full details of attribution requirements see here and here and specific information to each map source.

Downloadable OpenStreetMap Tile Server Based Mapping:

Currently stored in osmservers.txt file. This functionality is already integrated in the main GpsCycleComputer.exe and could be expanded to include the required attribution and retention policy which vary by map type. This would be the only way to prevent abuse by ordinary users.

GPS Cycle Computer would automatically create a folder for each map source reducing user action required and allowing easy switching, automatically display the required attribution on screen, and automatically delete downloaded tiles as required where these are not allowed to be retained.

GPS Cycle Computer would include, and be updated accordingly as required to include, all publicly available OpenStreetMap based Tile Servers. osmservers.txt would no longer be available to the end user as a separate file.

For user added Tile Servers, tileservers.txt could be implemented. To prevent abuse, a Tile Server already within GPS Cycle Computer, such as all publicly available OpenStreetMap based Tile Servers, if duplicated therein would be disregarded and not function. Attribution functionality would be via attribution.txt as detailed in Offline Maps.

Regarding retention policy, this could be automatically handled by GPS Cycle Computer. Map file deletion could occur after a duration of time after download has elapsed, and as a function that occurs when Exit is selected, before actual Exit or Shutdown occurs. When GPS Cycle Computer is started, if map files have beforehand been placed in the map folder, these are also deleted. Whilst running, if GPS Cycle Computer could lock access to the map folder so it is unavailable other that to GPS Cycle Computer, it would provide an additional safeguard.

These measures appear the only ways to attempt to prevent abuse by ordinary users. Whilst not entirely preventative if a user is capable and determined, it is currently unclear what further measures could be taken. The measures outlined would sufficiently demonstrate every effort at enforcing compliance had been made. Further measures could be taken as they became clear.

Downloadable API Mapping: (when implemented)

Any API access map would as part of the API implementation include the required on screen attribution and retention policy therein.

Offline Maps:

Any storage / memory card based map would have the required attribution automatically shown on screen. This could be derived from attribution.txt in the map folder. As the end user is responsible for such maps, the end user would be responsible for ensuring this is done. To enforce this, GPS Cycle Computer could automatically create attribution.txt in any such map folder and until configured with text that includes the © symbol and a minimum number of characters, GPS Cycle Computer would not display a map, but only highly prominent and intrusive red flashing text 'set attribution.txt' where the ordinary attribution should be on screen to act as a reminder. Once set, the attribution has ordinary prominence, i.e. relatively unnoticeable, and the map is displayed normally.

Incidentally, all maps invariably have Copyright and often in more than one aspect. It is unlikely any map that was not subject to Copyright would actually be used with GPS Cycle Computer in the first instance. That issue can however be addressed as required in the unlikely event it should ever arise.

The above would work regardless of Map format. For some offline map formats however, where the required attributions were known and fixed as maps in those formats are always the same, as part of that implementation of support of the format could be the required attribution on screen.

For offline OSM Tile Format based mapping, in terms of reducing the number of files, it is possible to reduce the number of files down to a single file. This is done by compressing the content of the parent map folder, so it becomes a single compressed file (map.zip for example) in the parent map folder. GPS Cycle Computer, if functionality was implemented to do so, would then read the compressed file containing the same OSM Tile Format file structure as were it not compressed, and uses the required files therein as at present. It is not necessary to extract all tiles therein, only those required at any given time are extracted to RAM, in addition to a foreseeable surrounding area, to minimise lag, if any.

This enables existing methods of creating OSM Tile Format maps to continue to be used. It eases distribution, transfer / download to device / memory card, and does not require a user to uncompress the map, although they can if they wish, if device is unable to uncompress on the fly or there is lag in doing so.

GPS Cycle Computer would just handle a compressed OSM Tile Format file automatically as it does the other supported formats.

low.flying.pigs