WhyOpenGeodata

From Open Knowledge Foundation

• Access to public information.
  • For public information to be truly exploited, it needs to be as widely available as possible.
  • from EC Directive 2003/98/EC on the exploitation of public sector information:

Public sector information is an important primary material
for digital content... Broad cross-border geographical 
coverage will also be essential in this context.

• Ability to analyse public information for social good.
  • Geographic data underpins services such as http://writetothem.com/ and http://theyworkforyou.com/
  • Participation in public services, transport and planning all rely on access to this information.
• Expansion of economic activity
  • Lack of database copyright restrictions is proven to generate activity
  • Opening the data leads to increased competitiveness in the service market
  • Open data means more innovation.
• Strengths of "Commons" licensing model
  • An "Attribution-Sharealike" license would require the user to redistribute updates to the data.
  • Non-commercial use is not on a "supplication" basis; benefit is maximised.
• Social failure of current pay-for "cost-recovery" model
  • Over 50% of sales are to government - a false economy of 60 million UKP
  • Ordinary citizens and non-profits can't afford the data