[okfn-discuss] public domain works database

Fri Jun 30 09:49:43 UTC 2006

I'm writing to update everyone here on the public domain works database.
This is a joint project with Free Culture UK (and is part of the larger
Public Domain Burn project). There is now a front-end site up (as of
this weekend!) at:

   http://www.publicdomainworks.net/

Summary: "The Public Domain Works DB is an [WWW] open registry of
artistic works that are in the public domain. It is focused on
recordings (and their underlying compositions) because a term extension
for recordings is currently being considered in Europe. In future it
will will expand in future to cover all types of cultural works which
are covered by copyright."

There's a project on knowledgeforge for all the code:

   http://www.knowledgeforge.net/project/pdw/

And the mailing list (for everything: discussion, development etc) is:

   http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/pdb-discuss

This is a great 'open knowledge' project in that it combines code, data
and a strong element of reuse. A major aim of the project is not just to
provide yet another website but to work to provide a solid /database/ of
metadata in raw form that can be reused by different projects (for
example those working on the public domain, those working on orphan
works, those doing bibliograph) and one of the most interesting
questions is the development of an effective 'knowledge API' in the form
of persistent identifiers for the underlying works and artists.

Regards,

Rufus