This is partially because they import into their own system, and then export->import into OSM. At that point, they're considered an integration which imports data.

If their apps instead submitted directly to OSM (letting submission trickle back down), then the flow would fit into "user submission". Book Corners simply becomes an app though which the user performed the submission, rather than an intermediary exporting data.

>A project like OSM would be bombarded with spam and junk submissions if it didn’t have these barriers to submission.

I'm not sure about this. The barriers to submissions are honestly more likely to cause object and amenity level data to become out of date. Google is able to have such an up to date place database because it relies on a large quantity of crowdsourced submissions, and employs consensus to figure out the truth.

It's not really considered an import if a person is looking at all of the changes. They would just need a clear license from their users.

(an import is when there isn't complete review...)