If using Geonames requires is to change license for Area data, we shouldn't use Geonames. I'm not sure it does though, as per marc's responses in that thread (where he says it's okay to publish the "enhanced data" using Geonames as CC0 (which is essentially what we want to do), as long as Geonames is credited).
I would say (though IANAL) that the individual bits of information by themselves aren't copyrightable (they're facts), but obviously the usage of Geonames and their db and system etc. is. I feel like a bot importing data from Geonames and crediting Geonames in its edit notes would be enough credit: the bot is the one using Geonames and retrieving the bits of data from Geonames, but as soon as the facts are taken out of Geonames they're just stand-alone facts, and thus no longer copyrightable and we're free to distribute said facts using our own db.
That said, I think it'd be fair to jot down a note about Geonames wherever it might be relevant (a footnote on the About page perhaps, possibly a mention on the Sponsors (if a proper wording can be found), a mention on AreaBot (or whatever account is used to import GN data), a mention on https://wiki.musicbrainz.org/Area, etc.).
Improvement
Normal
If using Geonames requires is to change license for Area data, we shouldn't use Geonames. I'm not sure it does though, as per marc's responses in that thread (where he says it's okay to publish the "enhanced data" using Geonames as CC0 (which is essentially what we want to do), as long as Geonames is credited).
I would say (though IANAL) that the individual bits of information by themselves aren't copyrightable (they're facts), but obviously the usage of Geonames and their db and system etc. is. I feel like a bot importing data from Geonames and crediting Geonames in its edit notes would be enough credit: the bot is the one using Geonames and retrieving the bits of data from Geonames, but as soon as the facts are taken out of Geonames they're just stand-alone facts, and thus no longer copyrightable and we're free to distribute said facts using our own db.
That said, I think it'd be fair to jot down a note about Geonames wherever it might be relevant (a footnote on the About page perhaps, possibly a mention on the Sponsors (if a proper wording can be found), a mention on AreaBot (or whatever account is used to import GN data), a mention on https://wiki.musicbrainz.org/Area, etc.).