[okfn-coord] Open Data Commons Coming to the OKF (and relation to OSM)

Tue Jan 20 18:41:26 UTC 2009

Jordan posted last week about the fact that his Open Data Commons
project (open licenses for data) is moving to the OKF:

http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/okfn-discuss/2009-January/001185.html

I just wanted to make sure everyone on coord was aware of this (we're
going to announce it publicly in a blog post today or tomorrow).

[next part is 'confidential']

This move has been in the planning stage for several months and one of
the things that spurred us to have this happen right now is that
Jordan has been developing a new 'share-alike' type license for data
(or rather updating his original version) for use by Open Street Map
(OSM).

This new license will live at ODC. OSM plan to announce their
intention to adopt the license soon (perhaps next week). It is
important to mention at this point that one of the reasons OSM would
like us/ODC to manage the license is that it tends to be the kind of
'painting the bikeshed' issue that leads to a lot of discussion
(sometimes heated) which they would rather like to transfer elsewhere
(feeling, quite reasonably, that their main focus should be on mapping
not debate over the legal stuff).

I don't think this is a problem for ODC or for the OKF and having a
good home for these licenses is really important (data is going to be
bigger than content ...) but I did want to mention it. In particular,
it will be the 'OKF' who is 'responsible' for ODC, at least at the
start. However, at this early stage it would be my hope that our main
role would be a custodian role (though of course Jordan, myself and
anyone else interested would be active on the discuss list). Later,
when we come to any future drafting we can have a proper 'process'
(perhaps with an Advisory Council of some sort) in place to deal with
any conteniousness that arises.

Hope this sounds satisfactory to everyone. and please keep this
OSM-related material private (including the fact that the new data
license will be released soon).

Regards,

Rufus