GEOSS Data Sharing Principles

1. GEOSS Data Sharing Principles • There will be full and open exchange of data, metadata and products shared within GEOSS, recognizing relevant international instruments and national policies and legislation. • All shared data, metadata and products will be made available with minimum time delay and at minimum cost. • All shared data, metadata and products being free of charge or no more than cost of reproduction will be encouraged for research and education.

2. Data Sharing Action 1 • Create the GEOSS Data Collection of Open Resources for Everyone (GEOSS Data-CORE) to address the 9 GEO Societal Benefit Areas The GEOSS Data-CORE is a distributed pool of documented datasets, contributed by the GEO community on the basis of full and open unrestricted access and at no more than the cost of reproduction and distribution * It should be noted that data accessible in the GEOSS Data-CORE is a subset of all data registered in the GEOSS

3. Data Sharing Action 2 • Establish a Task Force within GEO to: • Monitor the use and impact of resources made available with full and open access • Promote the efficacy of the Data Sharing Principles in delivering societal benefits • Evaluate the outcomes of this Action Plan and recommend further actions, including any mechanisms needed to further enhance the ability of the GEOSS architecture to provide access to data, metadata and products

4. Data Sharing Actions 3 and 4 • Maintain the GEOSS Common Infrastructure as the architectural framework essential to implementing the Data Sharing Principles • For further details, please see the Supporting Document “Considerations Arising from the Data Sharing AP for the GCI” • Integrate implementation of the Data Sharing Principles, as appropriate, into the activities of GEO Work Plan Tasks and GEO Committees

5. Data Sharing Actions 5 and 6 • Take leadership to establish national coordinating mechanisms to promote and monitor engagement with the implementation of the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles and provide feedback to GEO • Develop flexible policy frameworks to ensure that a more open data environment is implemented

6. Data Sharing Action 7 and 8 • Maximize the number of documented datasets made available on the basis of full and open access • “When no information about usage rights and restrictions is provided, the presumption within GEOSS will be that the data are fully and openly available with no restrictions on use and dissemination” • Promote with data providers within their territories the benefits of full and open access to data

7. Take-away points: Legal interoperability is important for data re-users (e.g., public researchers) rather than for end users who are just consumers. Public law status quo is uncertain and can be very restrictive for public research users of databases. Data users ignore the law at their own peril. Public domain status, whether created by lapse or exemption of protection, or by express waiver, provides greatest interoperability and freedom for users, but no control or protection for the producer/original rights holder. An attribution-only license may be used for databases, but is not recommended because of potential for attribution stacking. Such licenses, however, result in only minor restrictions for data users but the scope is uncertain for the database rights holder. Contracts (attribution only) are more certain for the rights holder, but are not standard for the user and can be more burdensome. The more legal restrictions that are added, the less appropriate for public science.

8. GEOSS Implementation requires:Data Sharing Principles Full and Open Exchange of Data Data and Products at Minimum Time delay and Minimum Cost Free of Charge or Cost of Reproduction

9. GEO Members from South East Mediterranean & the Middle East African Association of Remote Sensing for the Environment (AARSE), African Centre for Climate Monitoring and Applications Development (ACMAD), Environmental Information System (EIS-Africa), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Regional Centre for Monitoring and Remote Sensing Development (RCMRD) and many others

10. What is GEO and GEOSS? Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Largest consortium of data providers in the world Coordinating efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Launched in response to calls for action by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and by the G8 (Group of Eight) leading industrialized countries Provides a framework within which the partners can develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments in data products and services

11. Uncertainty over continuity of observations Large spatial and temporal gaps in specific data sets Limited access to data and associated benefits in developing world Inadequate data integration and interoperability Lack of relevant processing systems to transform data into useful information Inadequate user involvement Eroding or little technical infrastructure in many parts of the world GEOSS Targeted Gaps

12. Increasing Demand for Landsat Data Before Open-Data Policy 53 scenes per day (for best year of sales 2001) After Open-Data Policy 5,700 scenes per day of web-enabled data delivered Change in data policy