Many shops nowadays do not display opening hours on their door but do on their website. If they are an independent shop with their own website, is it okay to copy opening times from there as you would from the door or a menu? Does it depend on a declaration of copyright? My understanding is it is okay as long as it isn’t a chain, or of course another site (Facebook, openinghours.com, Google maps, etc). I presume the same applies to addresses? Anyway, thought it was best to check (and that it shouldn’t be done from chains’ websites). Thanks
The general consensus on this forum seems to be that that’s OK. See also this reply to a question about the website of a chain.
There’s also opening_hours:url for recording the actual URL. (Could be useful especially when you’re unsure, or when opening hours change often.)
6 Likes
Thanks everyone. To summarise these answers and links, copying facts such as opening hours from a website of an independent store or brand with only a few outlets is fine. However, because databases may have protection and OSM tries to be unimpeachable regarding copyright, we should not source such facts from websites that collect this information for hundreds of stores (or more), including a single brand with multiple outlets, Facebook, other business directories. That is unless explicit permission is granted to do so.
I recommend reading the link posted by Minh_Guyen about use of Facebook for cross-validation of currency of information.
By the way, there was a recent discussion about whether Facebook could be consulted for opening hours and other basic information:
1 Like
Simple a fact of opening hours not subjected to copyright, as copyright protects “expressions” not “ideas” e.g. fact of “a store open at 8:00AM to 9:00PM” is not subjected to copyright.