[Touch Diamond, MDA Compact IV General] low.flying.pigs:
It's resultant from mass abuse of MOBAC and similar tools as previously exhaustively documented, the technical specifics added at the bottom of post 2281 and below again for ease of reference:

The Map Sources named 'OpenStreetMap MapQuest' and 'OpenStreetMap 4UMaps.eu' in MOBAC both appear normal as rendered for their type of mapping.

However, it has been known for Tile Servers to issue warning tiles, defaced tiles, mixed up tiles, or simply blank tiles, or severely slow down the provision of tiles, on an individual basis, when taking exception to MOBAC and similar tools straining their resources and good will. The following is then known to occur:

Blocking of individual fixed IP addresses.

When no fixed IP can be identified, but a pattern nonetheless exists, request from the Tile Server service provider to the ISP to in future either block their client, who the ISP can identify from the dynamic IP in use at the time, from accessing the Tile Server, or deploy traffic shaping limiting their bandwidth. Some ISP's terminate their clients accounts, thus ending their Internet access, for breach of the Terms and Conditions of the ISP.

Alternatively blocking of all IP addresses associated with an ISP when issued dynamically by the ISP.

Blocking of the application itself.

Removal of unrestricted free access entirely.

Removal of any free access whatsoever entirely.

As no apparent controls were built in to MOBAC, even if a new version were released now that enforced responsible usage and behaviour, previous versions would continue to function and be used to abuse the remaining accessible Tile Servers.

Therefore that alone would be insufficient. Ultimately, the only options for all Tile Servers that cannot withstand or sustain the MOBAC onslaught will be to change access URL's requiring every application to be updated, and / or block offending applications, or block everything white listing only applications that enforce acceptable usage and comply with applicable terms, or remove unrestricted free access entirely, or removal of any free access entirely.

URL change, not necessarily domain change, in conjunction with white listing, blocks existing access and forces compliance and would be mostly effective disabling immediately existing current and previous versions of non complaint applications. Connections behaving differently to that acceptable on any Tile Server are immediately detectable and can be terminated with zero tolerance, across all Tile Servers, by sharing internally that data, preventing switching to another, as closing down access to only one only shifts the problem to the remainder.

Access via IP addresses associated with proxy services or similar would be permanently barred. As the technical details of many currently and previously abusive connections are known to individual Tile Servers, whilst implementing the changes, consideration would be given to sharing internally that data and whether to allow any access to new services or restrict from the outset access across all.

URL change, in conjunction with white listing as detailed above is easiest for Tile Servers to implement, almost trivially so being basic Firewall and Server configuration, and applications cannot access Tile Servers without being compliant, and that would be inherently enforced. It would be the most positive outcome allowing unrestricted compliant free access to continue, since neither application developers or users of applications can otherwise be entrusted to act responsibly as MOBAC has to date managed to demonstrate so lamentably.

Some developers take an attitude they are not responsible for the actions of their users. Some users take the attitude they are not responsible for the capabilities of applications or their using capabilities provided to them. Both are fundamentally flawed and both are factors resultant in the present situation.

The alternatives are API only free access similar to previously detailed, or no free access at all.

The current situation is unsustainable. Change is inevitable. It is in fact already occurring, the only question is what direction the change will take. It has been demonstrated free access can be retained in a compliant, viable and sustainable way, whether it will be or not depends on a number of issues.

Further abuse of MOBAC and similar tools will not help produce any desirable outcome. The only losers then will be legitimate users, and projects such as GPS Cycle Computer that have no available legitimately free Tile Server based mapping.

It should be remembered OpenStreetMap does not have to share its raw data publicly in the manner it currently does, or offer publicly accessible free Tile Servers in the manner it currently does. It can simply licence its raw data to commercial providers that then claim their own Copyright in the rendering process and wholesale / retail that finished product. Any issues with requirements or commitments to be open would be resolved by changing terms and whatever creates any requirements or commitments.

Those commercial providers do not have to provide free access, limited or otherwise, either. It should be noted most if not all remaining free Tile Server service providers have already established commercial enterprises. That could be an indication of the direction of change, given some have already gone that route, removing any free access.

It is known various commercial enterprises have made investments in advancing OSM mapping. Being commercial enterprises it is unlikely that was to give away an end product without a return.

There is some possibility extremely basic OSM based mapping may remain free, with anything more than that available only on a commercial basis. OSM contributors have already lost any rights in their contributions already made, and would determine for themselves whether to continue contributing under any new basis.

Consideration has been given to be providing a OpenStreetMap based Tile Server only for GPS Cycle Computer users. Out of necessity, access would have to be restricted only to GPS Cycle Computer, and usage by GPS Cycle Computer further controlled and constrained. Otherwise the resultant server and bandwidth costs would be entirely unaffordable and unsustainable.

Yes.

Further information to be added.

low.flying.pigs