But the company can't point to a single case of copyright infringement
A U.K. company behind digital addressing system What3Words has sent a legal threat to a security researcher for offering to share an open-source software project with other researchers, which What3Words claims violate its copyright.
Aaron Toponce, a systems administrator at XMission, received a letter on Thursday from London-based law firm JA Kemp representing What3Words, requesting that he delete tweets related to the open-source alternative, WhatFreeWords. The letter also demands that he disclose to the law firm the identity of the person or people with whom he had shared a copy of the software, agree that he would not make any further copies of the software and to delete any copies of the software he had in his possession.
The letter gave him until May 7 to agree, after which What3Words would “waive any entitlement it may have to pursue related claims against you,” a thinly-veiled threat of legal action.
“This is not a battle worth fighting,” he said in a tweet. Toponce told TechCrunch that he has complied with the demands, fearing legal repercussions if he didn’t. He has also asked the law firm twice for links to the tweets they want deleting but has not heard back. “Depending on the tweet, I may or may not comply. Depends on its content,” he said.
The legal threat sent to Aaron Toponce. (Image: supplied)
U.K.-based What3Words divides the entire world into three-meter squares and labels each with a unique three-word phrase. The idea is that sharing three words is easier to share on the phone in an emergency than having to find and read out their precise geographic coordinates.
But security researcher Andrew Tierney recently discovered that What3Words would sometimes have two similarly-named squares less than a mile apart, potentially causing confusion about a person’s true whereabouts. In a later write-up, Tierney said What3Words was not adequate for use in safety-critical cases.
It’s not the only downside. Critics have long argued that What3Words’ proprietary geocoding technology, which it bills as “life-saving,” makes it harder to examine it for problems or security vulnerabilities.
Concerns about its lack of openness in part led to the creation of the WhatFreeWords. A copy of the project’s website, which does not contain the code itself, said the open-source alternative was developed by reverse-engineering What3Words. “Once we found out how it worked, we coded implementations for it for JavaScript and Go,” the website said. “To ensure that we did not violate the What3Words company’s copyright, we did not include any of their code, and we only included the bare minimum data required for interoperability.”
But the project’s website was nevertheless subjected to a copyright takedown request filed by What3Words’ counsel. Even tweets that pointed to cached or backup copies of the code were removed by Twitter at the lawyers’ requests.
Toponce — a security researcher on the side — contributed to Tierney’s research, who was tweeting out his findings as he went. Toponce said that he offered to share a copy of the WhatFreeWords code with other researchers to help Tierney with his ongoing research into What3Words. Toponce told TechCrunch that receiving the legal threat may have been a combination of offering to share the code and also finding problems with What3Words.
In its letter to Toponce, What3Words argues that WhatFreeWords contains its intellectual property and that the company “cannot permit the dissemination” of the software.
Regardless, several websites still retain copies of the code and are easily searchable through Google, and TechCrunch has seen several tweets linking to the WhatFreeWords code since Toponce went public with the legal threat. Tierney, who did not use WhatFreeWords as part of his research, said in a tweet that What3Words’ reaction was “totally unreasonable given the ease with which you can find versions online.”
In a statement, What3Words chief executive Chris Sheldrick said: “The specific incident we’ve taken action against stems from an unauthorized version of our software which was offered for distribution. This includes a set of non-trivial, proprietary binary data resources. As stated in our letter, we aren’t requesting that criticism of us or our software is taken offline.”
When asked multiple times, What3Words spokesperson Miriam Frank declined to point to any case where a judicial court has asserted that WhatFreeWords has violated its copyright.
Updated with comment from What3Words.
FAQs
what3words is a commercial, non-open, patented location reference.
What is the three word controversy? ›
In June 2021, Mountain Rescue England and Wales raised concerns about the credibility of reported What3words coordinates, following incorrect information being given about 45 locations over 12 months. Spelling issues and local accents were reported as being part of the problem.
How do I find my location on what3words? ›
Open the what3words app. Tap the arrow icon above the satellite mode, to find your current location. Please wait for the blue dot to stabilise to ensure you have the most accurate what3words address. The location accuracy is dependent on your device's GPS signal, which can be imprecise and constantly updating.
How does three words work? ›
what3words is a really quick and simple way to find, share and save exact locations. The system converts GPS coordinates into 3 word addresses. For our own website and apps, we usually use Google Maps, which means that during a street address search on what3words, Google will point you to where it lies on its map.
Is what3words used in the United States? ›
US emergency response teams recommend downloading what3words
Across the US, the technology has been successfully used by 911 teams for everything from reporting fires and rescuing pets, to locating injured hikers and lost kayakers with pinpoint accuracy.
Does the US use what3words? ›
what3words is used by 911 Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) across the United States.
How does what3words make money? ›
How does what3words make money? what3words is free for anyone to use via our app and online map. We make money by charging some businesses that benefit commercially from using our products. For example, what3words built into Mercedes-Benz's cars improves the customer experience for its drivers.
Is what 3 words more accurate than GPS? ›
There is an element of accuracy here as well, accuracy of the transmission -- it's much easier to read off and confirm a set of three words without mistakes, while surrounded by a lot of ambient noise; than to try to do the same with GPS coordinates.
What is the difference between what3words and Google Maps? ›
Google Maps is a tool for navigation, public transport and for looking up POIs. what3words has a very different function – it's an easy way to communicate exact locations, whether that's spoken over the phone or into a car voice navigation system, or typed into a taxi app or a website checkout page.
Does what 3 words work without signal? ›
Does the app work without signal? Without phone signal, the app functions the same as when you have no data connection: you can view the location of any what3words address you enter. You can also navigate to it using compass mode. To share a what3words address over the phone or in a text message you need phone signal.
Compared to current street addressing systems, 3 word addresses are far more accurate, as they refer to a specific 3m x 3m area. As the entire what3words grid is fixed, the 3 word address for a particular location will never change even if buildings or streets are redeveloped.
Who is the ownership of what3words? ›
what3words Help Center. Who owns what3words? Who owns what3words? what3words is owned by its founders, employees and investors, including Intel Capital, Mercedes-Benz, Sony Innovation Fund, Subaru, Aramex, Deutsche Bahn, Ingka Investments, ITV AdVentures Invest and Channel 4 Ventures.
What is the max length of what3words? ›
Keep it real. Prototype using an actual what3words address address averaging 23 characters – the max is 64. Get permission when sharing a real address.
How many people are using what3words? ›
what3words has over 1,000 customers who pay for premium services, these include emergency and postal services.
...
what3words customers 2017 to 2020.
| Year | Customers |
|---|
| 2017 | 500 |
| 2018 | 650 |
| 2019 | 800 |
| 2020 | 1000 |
Jan 9, 2023
Meet businesses using what3words
- Zenstores offers retailers more reliable deliveries. ...
- Savills improves the property viewing experience. ...
- Oddbox uses what3words to find wonky addresses. ...
- Visitors to Towersey Festival can find every entrance with ease. ...
- Addland lets you find any piece of land with just 3 words.
If you're given a what3words location, you can open it in the what3words app, then tap 'Navigate' and select 'Google Maps' to open the exact location in Google Maps and get directions. Does the app work without phone signal?
Does Apple Maps use what3words? ›
what3words for Mac
Use what3words on your Mac to find, share and navigate to precise locations using the apps you love on macOS like Maps, Messages, Mail, AirDrop and others. You'll also be able to use what3words in Dark Mode and with Voice Control.
Who is the marketing director of what3words? ›
Giles Rhys Jones - CMO - what3words | LinkedIn.
What is the most accurate GPS in the world? ›
The Garmin GPSMAP 66st is at the top of its class in terms of accuracy and reliability, earning it our top honors. It boasts a powerful quad-helix antenna and reliably connects to more satellite networks with greater accuracy than most other models.
What is the biggest source of GPS signal error? ›
The major sources of GPS positional error are: Atmospheric Interference. Calculation and rounding errors. Ephemeris (orbital path) data errors.
GPS satellites broadcast their signals in space with a certain accuracy, but what you receive depends on additional factors, including satellite geometry, signal blockage, atmospheric conditions, and receiver design features/quality. For example, GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft.)
Can I send a text with no signal? ›
Tip: You can send texts over Wi-Fi even if you don't have cell service. Just use Messages as you normally would. If you're not connected to Wi-Fi, make sure cellular data is turned on: On your Android device, open the Settings app.
What is the three little words emergency app? ›
How do I use what3words in an emergency?
- Find the 3 word address for your current location on the free what3words app for iOS and Android . ...
- Share your 3 word address over the phone to the call handler.
- The emergency service can then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.
what3words addresses are fixed and will never change. That's how what3words is able to work offline and needs no updates or database. We know a lot of people would like to personalise the words in their addresses, but this can't be done.
What word has 52 letters? ›
Aequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolic (52 letters) In the 17th century, Dr. Edward Strother coined the 52-letter word aequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolic. The word is used to describe the spa waters in Bath, England.
Which is the smallest word in the world? ›
The shortest word is a. Some might wonder about the word I since it consists of one letter, too. In sound, a is shorter because it is a monophthong (consists of one vowel), while I is a diphthong. Both do consist of one letter in the English writing system, and in most fonts I is the narrowest letter.
Can you use what three words on Amazon? ›
Yes, as long as your e-commerce platform allows for customisation of your checkout page, you can use our JavaScript Autosuggest Component .
How does what3words work without signal? ›
Does the app work without signal? Without phone signal, the app functions the same as when you have no data connection: you can view the location of any what3words address you enter. You can also navigate to it using compass mode. To share a what3words address over the phone or in a text message you need phone signal.
Who is what3words owned by? ›
what3words Help Center. Who owns what3words? Who owns what3words? what3words is owned by its founders, employees and investors, including Intel Capital, Mercedes-Benz, Sony Innovation Fund, Subaru, Aramex, Deutsche Bahn, Ingka Investments, ITV AdVentures Invest and Channel 4 Ventures.
Who is the owner of what3words? ›
Chris Sheldrick - Co-founder & CEO - what3words | LinkedIn.
Please note, what3words is accepted by over 80% of UK emergency services. While it is used by some services in other countries, use is not yet widespread outside of the UK. In an emergency, you should call 999 and give the call handler the what3words address for where help is needed.
Is what3words more accurate than GPS? ›
There is an element of accuracy here as well, accuracy of the transmission -- it's much easier to read off and confirm a set of three words without mistakes, while surrounded by a lot of ambient noise; than to try to do the same with GPS coordinates.
