[okfn-announce] Open Knowledge Foundation Newsletter No. 5

[Jonathan Gray]

Welcome to the fifth Open Knowledge Foundation newsletter.

Contents:

   * New legal options for making data open
   * Response to Library of Congress report
   * Open Environmental Data project
   * Talk at the first COMMUNIA workshop
   * Other news in brief
   * Support the Open Knowledge Foundation!
   * Further information


NEW LEGAL OPTIONS FOR MAKING DATA OPEN
======================================

In December Science Commons announced the 'Protocol for Implementing 
Open Access Data'. Jordan Hatcher simultaneously launched the 'Public 
Domain Dedication & License (PDDL)'. Both were developed with input and 
feedback from the Open Knowledge Foundation to ensure compliance with 
the Open Knowledge Defition (opendefinition.org).

A beta of a new Creative Commons license for data, CCZero, has also just 
been released.

'Good news for open data: Protocol for Implementing Open Access Data, 
Open Data Commons PDDL and CCZero'
<http://blog.okfn.org/2007/12/17/good-news-for-open-data-protocol-for-implementing-open-access-data-open-data-commons-pddl-and-cczero/>

Protocol for Implementing Open Access Data
<http://sciencecommons.org/projects/publishing/open-access-data-protocol/>

ODC Public Domain Dedication and Licence 
<http://www.opendatacommons.org/odc-public-domain-dedication-and-licence/>

CCZero <http://labs.creativecommons.org/license/zero>


RESPONSE TO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS REPORT
======================================

The OKF responded to the Library of Congress report on the 'Future of 
Bibilographic Control' making the case that they should promote open 
licensing for bibliographic metadata. Over 150 groups and individuals 
co-signed the response, including Lawrence Lessig, Brewster Kahle and 
Tim O’Reilly.

Response to ‘The Future of Bibliographic Control’ draft from the Library 
of Congress
<http://blog.okfn.org/2007/12/19/response-to-the-future-of-bibliographic-control-draft-from-the-library-of-congress/>

Response and signatories <http://okfn.org/wiki/FutureOfBibliographicControl>


OPEN ENVIRONMENTAL DATA PROJECT
===============================

The Open Environmental Data project aims to document public domain and 
other freely reusable environmental datasets. In addition to registering 
packages of data on CKAN, we'd like to provide an overview of relevant 
research organisations, data distributors and free/open source software, 
as well as summarising law and policies specifically pertaining to 
environmental data.

Open Environmental Data <http://okfn.org/wiki/OpenEnvironmentalData>

'The IPCC Data Distribution Centre - environmental data licensing'
<http://blog.okfn.org/2007/11/20/the-ipcc-data-distribution-centre-environmental-data-licensing/>


TALK AT THE FIRST COMMUNIA WORKSHOP
===================================

COMMUNIA, the new 'European Thematic Network on the Digital Public 
Domain' had their first workshop in January. The OKF suggested COMMUNIA 
members work together to to create a set of 'public domain calculators' 
and to pool open metadata - whether for artistic works or databases.

First COMMUNIA Workshop - “Technology and the Public Domain”
<http://blog.okfn.org/2008/01/25/first-communia-workshop-technology-and-the-public-domain/>

Open Knowledge: Promises and Challenges
<http://m.okfn.org/files/talks/communia_20080118/>


OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF
===================

   - Cofundos project is launched for 'community innovation and funding'
<http://blog.okfn.org/2007/10/26/cofundos-community-innovation-and-funding/>

   - Eduserv study on open content licensing in cultural heritage sector 
published
<http://blog.okfn.org/2007/11/16/eduserv-study-on-open-content-licensing-in-cultural-heritage-sector-published/>

   - UK Government start to develop PSI Reuse Request Service
<http://blog.okfn.org/2008/01/15/meeting-on-uk-public-sector-information-re-use-request-service/>

   - Free Knowledge Institute is launched
<http://blog.okfn.org/2008/01/16/free-knowledge-institute-is-launched/>


SUPPORT THE OPEN KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATION!
======================================

A donation to the Open Knowledge Foundation would greatly help us with
our overhead costs, including hosting (currently around £1000/year) and
project development. To find out more about supporting our work, please
visit:

    http://www.okfn.org/support


FURTHER INFORMATION
===================

If you would like to know more about what we are up to, please take a
look at our active projects page.

    http://www.okfn.org/projects/

If you are interested in participating in any of the OKF's projects,
please see our participate page, or join the OKF discuss list.

    http://www.okfn.org/participate/
    http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/okfn-discuss

For further news and comments, see our blog:

    http://blog.okfn.org

The Open Knowledge Foundation is a not-for-profit organization. It is
incorporated in the United Kingdom as a company limited by guarantee
with company number 5133759. The registered office is 37 Panton Street,
Cambridge, CB2 1HL, UK.