2012 - The Open Database License (ODbL)

In 2012, the Open Database License ODbL was chosen as the best option to make sure OSM software and data would remain free and open to all who wish to use it.

Today, OSM data is used under the ODbL by most major location services companies and thousands of companies and organizations from many different sectors. Users include Microsoft, Meta, TomTom, Grab, the Red Cross, the United Nations, and many small companies, NGOs, and governments, especially in the area of urban planning, climate research, and transportation. This tool visualizes the organizations that access OSM’s data on a monthly basis.  A conservative estimate is that a billion people benefit from OpenStreetMap every day.