You Haven’t Made It Until You Get Sued

“We have been sued over a database we offer on this website under the ‘Open Database License (ODbL)’, which some of you may have used at some point... Since 2004 we have crowdsourced* the generation of the ‘Canadian Postal Code Geocoded Database.’ When you make a query to geocoder containing for example this information ‘1435 Prince of Wales, Ottawa, ON K2C 1N5’, we then extract the postal code ‘K2C 1N5’ and insert it into the database that you may download for free on this website. This allows you to look up a postal code (eg K2C 1N5) on www.geocoder.ca, or www.openstreetmap.org or a number of other sites that use geocoder.ca data and technology. Since we do not have a postal code dataset from the authority on postal code assignments, namely ‘Canada Post’, we derive and guess this information sometimes with pretty good accuracy results. Now ‘Canada Post’ has sued ‘Geocoder.ca’ in Federal Court, asking ‘Geocoder.ca’ to take this database down from this website, and also to ‘pay Canada Post’ damages on lost business the later has suffered by not selling enough copies of their own postal code file (last time I checked at $5,000CAD a piece). Fighting for principle is expensive, and we will do it. Even against the odds, namely the foremost law firm in the country for IP litigation, hired by Canada Post to bring us down. It will be easier with your help. If you are an entity or person who has benefited from Geocoder.ca free or commercial products and services write your thoughts on Canada Post's desire to shut down this website.We will post new developments and updates regarding this case here. Help us fight to keep these data free by donating to geocoder.ca's legal defense fund...”