[od-discuss] Open Data Buttons

Fri Mar 9 17:09:40 UTC 2012

On 8 March 2012 17:07, Laura Newman <laura.newman at okfn.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have recently been asked what the precise legal situation is with our Open
> Data / Open Content / Open Knowledge buttons. Do they imply CC-BY? CC-BY-SA?
> Or are they non-specific?

We have always been pretty clear on this when discussing with people:
the buttons have *no* legal meaning. They are a complement *not* a
substitute for an explicit license statement.

> For example, if someone were to publish a CC-BY article and include an image
> with one of our buttons inserted in the bottom corner, what precisely would
> that mean? In what way would that be different from displaying a Creative
> Commons logo?

Legally it would mean not that much (you could try to argue in
extremis that it showed you wished the material to be available under
some OD compliant license). However, as per above our recommendation,
is, and will be that you *must* have an explicit license statement
(and this goes for CC license logo too -- it *must* be part of or
associated to a statement e.g. "This is licensed under license X
<link>). The logos are conveniences of branding not substitutes for
proper, explicit licensing.

Rufus

> Thanks for your input,
> Laura
>
>
> --
> Laura Newman
> Community Coordinator
> Open Knowledge Foundation
> http://okfn.org/
> Skype: lauranewmanonskype
> Twitter: @Newmanlk
>
>
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-- 
Co-Founder, Open Knowledge Foundation
Promoting Open Knowledge in a Digital Age
http://www.okfn.org/ - http://blog.okfn.org/