[geo-discuss] [Geodata] Re: Geodata in CKAN and collaboration (was Re: Responding to the consultation on opening Ordnance Survey's data)

[Jo Walsh]

dear Andrew, thanks for taking the time to write,

On 08/02/2010 16:49, Andrew Turner wrote:
> We've been actively working with various groups and Lawyers on how CC
> applies to data. Obviously there has been a lot of work in ODbL, but
> we're still missing the "menu" of available licenses. Currently all
> licenses are unique unless they're using PD/CC0.

Have you looked at the data license menu from CKAN.net - the dropdown 
list at http://www.ckan.net/package/new - this cites Open Knowledge 
Definition compliance for some data licenses. See also
http://opendefinition.org/licenses

A companion service to CKAN is http://isitopendata.org/ - public 
conversations with data originators about openess and contraints.
Ideas as to what could be usefully added to this would be apprec -
a registry of license URIs for download URIs, perhaps?

> Good question - we've had the GADM data for quite awhile now and I
> believe permission was obtained. But I'll get clarity - and a good
> reason for some mechanism of specifying data openness in the metada :)

Right, one good reason is that an open license is designed not just to 
ensure freedom but to *transmit* freedom (or constraint) to future users 
of the work. People who have chosen to contribute data or software to 
the commons with a Share Alike clause, like OSM, have likely thought 
quite hard about their reasons for doing so.
One should try to honour that intention.

cheers,


jo
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