Open Media Review

Australia to Release Some Data Under Creative Commons

Under US copyright, facts about the world are not copyrightable. They are not patentable either but that doesn’t stop some entities from charging for access to such data. Especially when it is gather at expense. I’m guessing that is why the Australian government is planning an experiment to release some meteorological and geographical data under a Creative Commons license.

I am not expert at Australian copyright but I am suspect that this data is copyrightable in the first place. I think the license probably has more to do with preventing further reselling of data gathered at the taxpayers expense, keeping fees to the government to recoup some of that expense. The reporting from the Guardian is a bit unclear, as some of the comments imply the issue is more about free as in cost though the current fees may represent their own barrier to free as in liberty access.

Regardless, I am encouraged by the suggestion in the article that where Australia leads, in terms of free access to information, Britain may follow.