CIPPIC Releases Report on Open Data & Creative Commons

In this analysis, CIPPIC looks at the ways in which Canadian open data providers can tap into Creative Commons to improve interoperability amongst their datasets.  Overall, we find that data users would have a much easier time combining data from different sources -- for example, compiling together map data from different municipalities and provinces across Canada -- under any of the following approaches:

• Use of the CC0 Public Domain Dedication;
• Adoption of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY) license; or
• Establishment of a license modelled on the U.K. Open Government Licence, with a few minor changes for better compatibility with Creative Commons.

Open data providers could achieve numerous benefits with any of these methods, all with very minimal legal risk.  Our full report is available here:  Creative Commons Licenses: Options for Canadian Open Data Providers.