[okfn-discuss] PSI click to CC-BY-SA compatibility

Mon Jul 6 17:23:25 UTC 2009

To follow up my last email in this thread, the update of the click-use
license which I mentioned OPSI were considering, has in fact already
been publicly announced here:

<http://perspectives.opsi.gov.uk/2009/06/opsis-new-licensing-model-taking-the-licensing-of-government-content-to-the-next-level.html>

They're looking for comments on the proposed license both straight up
on the blog or by email.

Some key points from their summary:

<quote>
* Re-users will not need to register and apply for a licence like they
do now with the Click-Use Licence;
* The new licence terms are compatible with other standard licences
such a Creative Commons and GNU GPL;
* The range of information covered by the PSI Click-Use Licence is
also covered by the new licence.  The licence will also cover
information that was formerly covered by Crown copyright waiver
conditions, such as legislation and government press notices;
* Initially, the licence will only cover information produced by
central government departments – information that is Crown copyright.
However, we expect that in time it will also cover information
produced by a wider range of public sector organisations, such as
local government and the health service;
</quote>

Despite their desire for compatibility I note that section 9 of the
new license still includes provisions such as:

<quote>
* Not re-use the information in a deliberately misleading way.
* Not re-use the information for promotional or advertising purposes;
not to imply endorsement by a government department or other public
sector organisation.
 *Not mimic the style and appearance of the original information, for
example by replicating the look and feel of a published document or a
departmental website.
</quote>

I'd also note that though clearly intended to cover "data" it mainly
talks about "content" and makes no reference to the rights which may
exist in data. It may be worth pointing them to open data license our
Open Data Commons project have been working on:

<http://www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/>

Regards,

Rufus