by Matt Barr

But don't quote us on that

Julian Sanchez notes OSM™'s terms of use:

You may not reproduce, distribute, copy, publish, enter into any database, display, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any part of this site. The only exceptions to this are that you may download material from Our Site for your own personal use, provided such download is limited to making one machine readable copy and/or one print copy that limited to occasional articles of personal interest only. No other use of the content of Our Site is permitted. Please contact our Sales Department if you wish to have rights other than those stated above.

I've just violated that policy and so has Sanchez, insofar as according to it you can't post excerpts from the OSM™ site on your blog. Sanchez's good point is that whether it's your name or not you do sort of describe yourself as Open Source, and that policy isn't. My point is that this is supposed to be the grandaddy of the New Media, which, prior to the posh New York launch of OSM™ this week, relied on bloggers quoting and linking to one another and having a sort of conversation.

Perhaps OSM™ would rather use only its "contributors'" material and so will not do unto others as it would have others not do unto it. Fine, I guess, if you think the value of blogging is identifying the good ones and then wrapping them up contractually so you can legally quote snippets from them.

I see blogging slightly differently. Which reminds me that I need a Terms of Use. I'll develop one shortly but till then the relevant passage is:

You may only reproduce, distribute, copy, publish, enter into any database, display, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any part of this site to the extent you allow the material on the site you wish to use my material on to be similarly used. The blog owner retains copyright to original materials published here.

Not to pile on or aything, but the end of OSM™'s Terms of Use includes these two provisions sequentially (two erroneous numerals in original):

8. This Agreement may be terminated by either party for any reason at any time. Sections two (2), three (3) and five (6) through nine (9) of this Agreement shall survive such termination.

10. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Delaware.

Perhaps tomorrow's OSM™ lead story will be "About Our Numbers."

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