UK government adopts Creative Commons licenses for open data

[Glen Newton]

http://blogs.openaccesscentral.com/blogs/bmcblog/entry/uk_government_adopts_creative_commons?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

-glen
http://zzzoot.blogspot.com/

--

-

[Jennifer Bell]

No, they haven't adopted Creative Commons wholesale.  That blog post is incorrect.  They've adopted a 'creative commons compatible' license, here:

http://data.gov.uk/terms-conditions

Which says right up front:

"Unless otherwise specified the information on this site is covered by either Crown Copyright, Crown Database Right or has been licensed to the Crown."

Then goes on to allow usages similar to CC-BY.

It's relevant that it's not actually CC-BY because the Office of the Public Service is interested in changing the license in the future to allow them to buy back or license applications:

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,40002144,00.htm

This could be what Berners Lee is working on as 'Crown Commons', announced back here:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2009/090610_web.aspx

Though that's speculation.  

I'd like to be a fly on the wall in the discussions.  Reserving the right to buy back or license applications based on the info is an interesting idea, which, if done right may well end up encouraging development instead of limiting it.  It's a tricky balance, though.

Jennifer Bell
http://visiblegovernment.ca

--- On Wed, 2/3/10, Glen Newton <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Glen Newton <[hidden email]>
> Subject: [CivicAccess-discuss] UK government adopts Creative Commons licenses for open data
> To: "GOSLING members in Ottawa" <[hidden email]>, "civicaccess discuss" <[hidden email]>
> Received: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 10:41 AM
> http://blogs.openaccesscentral.com/blogs/bmcblog/entry/uk_government_adopts_creative_commons?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
>
> -glen
> http://zzzoot.blogspot.com/
>
> --
>
> -
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