[euopendata] [open-government] licensing and pricing Geo Data

Thu Apr 28 09:06:29 UTC 2011

Hi Daniel!

2011/4/27 Daniel Dietrich <daniel.dietrich at okfn.org>

> Thank you very much for this links. They are very helpful. Let me put my
> question a bit more radically:

Are there any cases where 'open' licensing and / or pricing at marginal
> costs have proven to be an enabler for a successful Geo Data market?
>

How exactly would you define successful?

The largest customers by large for spatial data is the military and the
construction industry. Both would be happy about lower cost, but don't have
much interest in open licensing.
Getting spatial data at marginal costs would save them some money, but in
the end won't lead to more houses being build or more enemies being bombed.

Interestingly the best example for open spatial data driving a new market is
Google Earth. Which originally started by using public domain Landsat data
and Google only bought more high-res data after Google Earth became an
instant hit.

My understanding is that Geo Data is one of the areas which have most
> economic potential and are most locked in at the same time. Both through
> licenses and prices.
>

The huge potential of spatial data its application at that it can help
reducing wasteful efforts. But the spatial data provider I have spoken with
"like" web companies like Google in the same way the music industry "likes"
the Apple music store. It's a way to make some money, but it drives prices
down and it's unclear if it will cover the losses they will make in their
traditional markets.

cu andreas
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