On 17/07/2015, Simon Poole <[email protected]> wrote:
> Congrats or not on the introduction of eircode system :-), there is
> naturally some insecurity as to if we can legally include the data in
> OSM from user contributions.
>
> It would be helpful if somebody could provide the text of the letter you
> received with your eircode to the LWG, and naturally if anybody can
> provide pointers to relevant specific legislation or any other relevant
> material that would be welcome too.

I haven't received that letter yet, but I doubt that any permission
given therein to each homeowner for individual Eircodes can be legally
transfered to an aggregated database. I suppose the same legalese that
applies to Eircodes received by the post also applies to Eircodes
looked up on (or scraped from) their website.

Regardless of what they managed to legally forbid, the rate limiting
on the website is a clear statement of intent. So if we find a legal
loophole, they'll work to cover it. Of course they probably wouldn't
bothers OSM until it holds a sizable portion of Eircodes.

But I actually don't want to play that game. I'd rather do my best to
let Eircode flop as hard as possible (amongst others by ignoring it in
OSM) so that in a few years time the government and/or a coalition of
geocoding users decide to switch to an alternative postcode system. No
need to go back to the drawing board, the superior alternatives
already exist.

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