Creative Commons Licensing for Public Sector Information - Opportunities and Pitfalls

99 Pages Posted: 24 Feb 2008

See all articles by Mireille van Eechoud

Mireille van Eechoud

Institute for Information Law University of Amsterdam - Faculty of Law

Brenda van der Wal

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: January 2008

Abstract

The Creative Commons model seems an attractice instrument for public sector bodies that seek to enhance transparent access to their information, be it for purposes of democratic accountability or re-use for economic or other uses. This study examined that hypothesis and highlights the major opportunities and pitfalls of the Creative Commons model for public sector information. It assesses where there is a match between the creative commons model and the principles of freedom of information law and the European Union's Public Sector Information Directive (EC Directive 2003/98 on the re-use of public sector information) as implemented in the new chapter V-A of the Dutch Freedom of Information Act (Wet Openbaarheid van Bestuur). The assessment was made not only at the more principled, abstract level, but also at the level of the individual licensing terms. It is preceded by an analysis of government information as subject of intellectual property rights, under the Dutch Copyright Act and the Database Act.

Keywords: freedom of information law, copyright, public sector information, government information, open licensing, creative commons

Suggested Citation

van Eechoud, Mireille M. M. and van der Wal, Brenda, Creative Commons Licensing for Public Sector Information - Opportunities and Pitfalls (January 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1096564 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1096564

Mireille M. M. Van Eechoud (Contact Author)

Institute for Information Law University of Amsterdam - Faculty of Law ( email )

Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://www.ivir.nl

Brenda Van der Wal

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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