[asterisk-users] Open CallerID Database?

[Brad Templeton]

On Mon, Feb 19, 2007 at 03:01:50PM -0500, Paul wrote:
> I think terms of service for most CNAM providers prohibits sharing the
> data and limits the amount of time it can be cached for your own reuse.
> 

I don't know why they manage to get this level of control over the cnam database
so that they can charge a penny per lookup as well as monthly fees.  Does
anybody know how this happens?

Clearly some people buy the database at a good price.  Google for example
has it, and there are asterisk hacks to do google lookup (if you query a
10 digit phone number in google, you'll get not just name but address etc.)

Perhaps they are just paying.


One way to build a free database would be to simply have people share the
results of all sorts of searches.   People who pay for CNAM as end users,
for example, have signed no contract to not share the data.  So they could,
if trusted, forward those records to be stored in the shared database.
People who don't could take any number they get, and if it's not in the
shared database already, do a google query, and if that gives a result, store
that in the shared database.  (Also store negative results with a timestamp
so that you know that the google lookup provides no info.)

    
http://www.google.com/search?q=nnnnnnnnnn&pb=r

Eventually you would get a pretty good database, perhaps one big enough
that CLECs start wanting to update it directly?

Now there may still need to be something to pay for all of this, but
the fees could be much lower.   Charge fees for the latest copy or real
time query but just have the regular database out there for download
and local lookup.

Or perhaps just use the google api?