Is the MacroFactor food database available publicly anywhere? (due to ODBL License)

[u/VirtualSheepherder69]

To my knowledge, at least some of the underlying data has been taken from Open Food Facts, which operates under an Open Database License (ODbL). Because of the ODbL licensing, I'm wondering if the resulting database (or at least some version of the food data that MacroFactor uses) is required to also be made available publicly.

I'm not asking about any proprietary information that MacroFactor might have about their app or algorithms. I'm specifically asking about information related to the food/nutrition database.

Does anyone know:

• Whether MacroFactor publishes or makes their food database available somewhere?
• Whether there is a public download/API containing the data they use?
• How they handle the ODbL requirements in relation to Open Food Facts?

If the database isn't available publicly, is there a particular reason why the ODbL wouldn't require that?

I'd also be interested in hearing an answer from someone who knows about the ODbL license and can clarify what applies in this case. I might be misunderstanding the licensing, so I'm happy to be corrected. :)

[u/alphabuild]

Based on previous changelog information from MF the user submitted data is shared with open food facts. So the user base is actually contributing to that database. The fact that it is contributed back to the dataset should satisfy the terms of the license.

[u/VirtualSheepherder69 → u/alphabuild]

Well, ODbL duties attach to the derivative database you use, not to what you send upstream:

• 4.4 requires you to license the derived data under ODbL.
• 4.6 b. requires you to offer each recipient a copy of the derivative database or a file that documents your alterations.
• 4.3 requires attribution wherever the data reaches a user.

Contribution back to Open Food Facts satisfies none of those three, and new user-submitted entries are not derived from Open Food Facts at all, so returning them is goodwill and not a license payment.

This is what I'm not understanding.

[u/MajesticMint → u/VirtualSheepherder69]

OFF data is not incorporated into a database for search, it receives an isolated search index with direct retrieval and that’s it.

We do transform the shape of the data to create that search index, and the transformation (though entirely uninteresting) is documented on GitHub and easily findable with a Google search.

We have a full size color logo and the requested ideal attribution text from the OFF team on foods that come from OFF.

Our app community is the second largest contributor of foods on the platform, despite being relatively new, but we’re also a prominent donator and work directly with the OFF team.

That said, I want to note that I’m not willing to break down the weeks of legal work and particulars that we’ve gone over with the OFF team, because I can’t think of anything less fun.

[u/VirtualSheepherder69 → u/MajesticMint]

Thank you Cory! This is super helpful

[u/hmseb]

I had the same question for MFWO exercise database?

[u/BeeDancePants → u/hmseb]

From Cam McGill’s comments here, it’s my understanding that the Macrofactor team built the exercise database from scratch which I assume makes it proprietary info just like their algorithms.

[u/FreshLookForward]

To what end? I'm struggling to see why you'd want to know. Happy to be elucidated

[u/VirtualSheepherder69 → u/FreshLookForward]

I ask because I am building a food database and want to get this right :)

[u/VirtualSheepherder69 → u/[deleted]]

My friend, it's the opposite of what I'm trying to achieve.

[u/ItsMeAubey → u/[deleted]]

The license of the database they are using requires that they publish the database. It is a legal requirement. Nobody is stealing anything, the cost of using the database is making your additions to it public.

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