ePSIplatform Conference "from psi to open data - psi re-use in europe"

from PSI to Open Data
PSI re-use in Europe by Daniel Dietrich, 18.02.2011

Sonntag, 27. Februar 2011 1

I hope I will not be too repetitive with my open data advocacy mantra. So I will try to keep it
short. I will try to make a point on why we should turn PSI into Open Data and what it takes. I
will focus on the chances and challenges for PSI re-use in Europe.

Some PSI is open for
PSI re-use in Europe...
re-use wile some is NOT

Some in some european countries PSI is open for re-use wile other countries some other PSI
is NOT. Some European countries taking the lead like the UK & the Netherlands, wile others
like Denmark & Spain are clearly picking up speed. The majority of the EU member states falls
way behind.

a fragmented picture PSI re-use in Europe...


So if we look at PSi re-use in Europe we see a fragmented picture. We actually see the same
kind of fragmentation if we look at a country like Germany...

Federal Government

Federal States

Local / City
Administration

PSI re-use in Germany The Federal System...


In Germany we have the federal System, with the federal Government, the federal states and
the local administration. All of them produce PSI and some of the PSI is open for re-use wile
some is NOT!

UrhG - intelectual
property legislation IWG - Implementation of the EU
PSI Directive (2003/98/EC)

BDSG - data protection law

IFG - Freedom of Information law
UIG - access to
GeoZG
environmental
spatial data access law
information

PSI re-use in Germany The legislative Framework
surrounding PSI


Apart from the Federal System we have a legislative framework surrounding PSI re-use with
more than a dozen of different laws and regulations on all federal levels. !Some call it the
legislative jungle!

Oh no!
it’s complicated
The potential re-user
ﬁnds himself in a
complex & sometimes
contradicting situation.


The potential re-user ﬁnds himself in a complex & sometimes contradicting situation.

but wait...
what are the factors that support
why so complicated? or obstruct PSI re-use?


But has this really have to be so complicated? Let’s have a look on the factors that support or
obstruct PSI re-use?

3 simple rules for
open government data

- if it can’t be spidered or indexed, it doesn’t exist

- if it isn’t available in open and machine readable format, it can’t engage

- if a legal framework doesn’t allow it to be re-used, it doesn’t empower

by David Eves 2009


to sum this up we have the 3 laws for open government data...

for PSI to be open for re-use
it needs to be

- discoverable
- legally open
- technically open
- free of charge*


* I will say more on this later. - So let’s look at these challenges one by one en detail...

discoverability
hidden PSI
- what information?

- where to search?

- whom to ask?

Challenges on the way to open PSI


Discoverability: In many cases PSI - even if it is published - is hard to ﬁnd. If PSI can’t be
discovered it can’t be used.

so
lu
tio
discoverability n!
open PSI

- IARs information asset
registers (simple lists)

- data catalogues

- promotion of re-use

- competitions



The discoverability of PSI can be increased by ...
Tell the public what PSI you have, publish what you have, promote what you have!

legally
not open

- restrictive licenses
and terms of use

- missing or unclear
licenses or terms of use

-inefﬁcient freedom of
information legislations



In some cases PSI might be legally not open! because of ...

so
lu
tio
legally n!
open

- easy and coherent
licensing and terms of
use

- efﬁcient freedom of
information legislations



PSI can be made legally open, by ... apply easy and coherent licensing and terms of use - that
allows everybody to use, re-use and redistribute the PSI for any purposes.

technically
not open
PSI available but NOT:

- as raw data or
structured data

- no APIs

- no open standards
and no open formats



In some cases PSI might be technically not open! because it is available but NOT as ...

so
lu
tio
technically n!
open
- raw data

- structured data

- open formats & open
standards

- linked open data



PSI can be made technically open, by publishing 1. raw data, 2. structured data using open
formats using open standards.

pricing model
charging for PSI
- pricing PSI can hinder
innovation and new
economic growth

- different for
commercial / non-
commercial re-use



Price models can prevent the re-use of PSI ...
& pricing models can prevent innovation and new economic growth
pricing models can be different for commercial / non-commercial re-use (hard to takle)
so restrictive pricing models can make things very complicated and in-efficient!
- Challenge: How can we measure something like the social ROI of open PSI / Open Data?

so
lu
tio
pricing model n!
zero cost
- PSI at zero cost or at
marginal cost

- not different for
commercial / non-
commercial re-use



All PSI should be made available “free of charge” or at “marginal cost”. It makes no sense to
apply different pricing models for commercial / non-commercial re-use!

All this is
explained in detail

The Open Deﬁnition

W3C Guideline: Publishing Open Government Data

Ten Principles for opening up Government Information

by an international community of expertise and practice


The Open Deﬁnition
W3C Guideline: Publishing Open Government Data
Ten Principles for opening up Government Information

ﬂowering when PSI turns into Open Data...

landscapes

so if all PSI would become Open Data, this is how the future would look like... we would free
the data from its silos and make it available and interconnected. New innovations,
applications, products and services would be build upon...

Raw Data vs. Value added


One word raw data vs. value added data: Some people argue that ...


• Citizens don’t understand and want raw data so the
government should add value and sell it





• Thats not a government task!






• Release Raw Data!






• Release Raw Data!

• Others will add value & create innovations



Conclusions


conclusions: PSI is nothing by itself, it needs to be used
- For PSI to be re-used it needs to be
- legally & technically open & free of charge
- PSI pricing models beyond “marginal cost” are an obstacle for innovations and economic
growth

Conclusions

• PSI is nothing by itself, it needs to be used


growth

Conclusions


• For PSI to be re-used it needs to be


growth

Conclusions



• legally & technically open & free of charge


growth

Conclusions



• legally & technically open & free of charge

• PSI pricing models beyond “marginal cost” are an
obstacle for innovations and economic growth


growth

Thank you!

Daniel Dietrich

Open Knowledge
Foundation &

Open Data Network

www.okfn.org & www.opendata-network.org


Thank you!

Credits
This presentation comes under this CC Attribution 3.0
Unported (CC BY 3.0) license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Germany Map: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karte_Bundesrepublik_Deutschland.svg?uselang=de

Data Globe: http://de.fotolia.com/Contract/Download/M/oeytuTuAOZizU3tFkwzJNWblDF7rIvTx

Keynote Objects FX Free Jumsoft: http://www.jumsoft.com/goodies

LOD Landscape: http://www.w3.org/2009/Talks/0204-ted-tbl/#(7)

W3C Choosing how to publish: http://www.w3.org/TR/gov-data/

Please contact: Daniel Dietrich <daniel.dietrich@okfn.org>


Credits: This presentation comes under this CC Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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