Data sources & licenses

SurveyingPedia aggregates open geographic and geodetic data from public sources. This page lists every source, its license, required attribution, and commercial terms. We publish this information for full transparency and regulatory compliance.

Summary: All aggregated data is free for commercial use with proper attribution. Raw database redistribution is subject to OSM ODbL share-alike and GeoNames CC-BY attribution. Map tiles from third-party providers have their own commercial terms — consult each provider below.

Datasets

LicensePublic Domain (US Government work)
Commercial use✓ Permitted
ObligationsNo attribution strictly required. We cite "© National Geodetic Survey (NOAA)" as best practice.
What we useGeodetic control points (bench marks, HORB, Continuously Operating Reference Stations metadata).
LicenseOpen Database License (ODbL 1.0)
Commercial use✓ Permitted
ObligationsAttribution: "© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL". Share-alike if you redistribute the structured database.
What we useSurvey points, geodetic control markers, triangulation stations and crowdsourced benchmarks tagged in OSM.
GeoNames≈ 200,000 points
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0)
Commercial use✓ Permitted
ObligationsAttribution: "© GeoNames.org" with link to geonames.org. No share-alike requirement.
What we useTopographic landmarks: peaks (T.PK), mountains (T.MT), hills (T.HLL), passes (T.PASS), beacons (S.BCN), survey markers (S.MARKER), towers (S.TOWR), observatories (S.OBS).
IGS (International GNSS Service)≈ 30 stations in /cors points
LicenseOpen – see IGS data policy
Commercial use✓ Permitted
ObligationsAttribution to IGS and to the station operator.
What we useGNSS reference station metadata (CORS).
EUREF Permanent GNSS Network≈ 14 stations in /cors points
LicenseOpen – see EUREF data policy
Commercial use✓ Permitted
ObligationsAttribution to EUREF and to the station operator. Scientific/engineering use encouraged.
What we useEuropean GNSS reference station metadata.

Map tile providers

OpenStreetMap standard tile layer
PolicyAcceptable Use Policy
Commercial notesOSM tile server is operated by a non-profit. For high-volume commercial traffic we will migrate to self-hosted tiles or a commercial provider (Mapbox / MapTiler).
Esri World Imagery (satellite)
PolicyEsri Master Agreement – free for evaluation and small non-commercial use
Commercial notesFor large-scale commercial use, ArcGIS Online subscription is required. Attribution required: "Esri · Earthstar Geographics · USGS · NASA".
OpenTopoMap
PolicyCC-BY-SA 3.0
Commercial notesAllowed with attribution and share-alike conditions.
CARTO basemaps (Dark matter)
PolicyAttribution required
Commercial notes"© CARTO © OpenStreetMap contributors". Free usage up to volume limits.
Nominatim (geocoding search)
PolicyOSMF Nominatim Usage Policy
Commercial notesSingle user, max 1 req/sec. For heavy use a commercial geocoder (Photon, MapTiler, Mapbox) must be used.

Your rights when using our data

  • Reading any page, viewing maps, browsing benchmarks: always free, no registration needed.
  • Personal & educational use: fully permitted without any restriction.
  • Commercial use of aggregated data displayed on the site: permitted, provided you comply with the licenses of the underlying sources (OSM ODbL + share-alike, GeoNames CC-BY attribution, etc.).
  • Bulk database redistribution: allowed if you retain ODbL share-alike on the OSM-derived portion and GeoNames attribution. Contact us if you need a commercial-friendly derivative dataset.
  • Professional/legal reliance: data is provided "as-is". Always verify against the original agency datasheet before using for cadastral, legal, or safety-critical applications.

Accuracy disclaimer

Coordinate accuracy varies by source. NGS and EUREF/IGS stations are typically centimeter-grade. OpenStreetMap survey points are typically metre-grade. GeoNames topographic landmarks (peaks, hills, mountains) are typically 50–500 metres and should be considered reference points, not precision benchmarks. Always consult the linked original source before any professional use.

Contact

For licensing questions, takedown requests, bulk data access, or commercial partnerships, write to contact@surveyingpedia.com. We respond within 48 hours.