Government information licensing framework project stage 2 report

Abstract

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 This report outlines work undertaken during Stage 2 of the Government Information
Licensing Framework Project.
1.2 Stage 1 of the project resulted in endorsement by the Queensland Spatial Information
Council (QSIC) and the Information Queensland Steering Committee of an open
content licensing model, based on Creative Commons (CC).
1.3 Stage 2 of the project was initiated to bring QSIC licensing arrangements up to date,
and to create a Draft Government Information Licensing Framework based on an
open content licensing model to support data and information transactions between
the Queensland Government, other government jurisdictions and the private sector.
1.4 Other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas are moving to more open access and
use arrangements to support social and economic development, and are introducing
policies and principles and implementing appropriate licences to support this move.
Background research during Stage 2 has resulted in the recommendation that the
Queensland Government also move to open access and use arrangements, balanced
with appropriate protection for private and confidential information collected or held by
government.
1.5 The project proved valuable in testing the CC licences against a sample of existing
licences used within the Queensland Government. A detailed legal analysis of
existing licences was undertaken to identify key characteristics and to map these to
CC licence provisions.
1.6 Feedback received through consultation workshops conducted with agencies
identified a clear demand for simpler, formal and standardised licences.
1.7 The project included a review of the digital rights management component which
embeds an electronic watermark into licensed data.
1.8 Further work to progress the Draft Government Information Licensing Framework will
be required, including developing a business case, legal drafting, developing
technical systems for the digital rights management and conducting a pilot project.
These activities are proposed to be conducted, subject to funding, during Stage 3. A -
Government Information Licensing Framework Project Stage 3: Draft Project Plan
was provided to the Strategic Information and ICT Board on 27 September 2006 for
noting.
1.9 There is an opportunity to progress a generic standard for government information
licensing in partnership with CC.
1.10 This report is to be provided to QSIC, the Information Queensland Steering
Committee, the Office of Economic and Statistical Research Office Management
Team and the Strategic Information and ICT Board.----------
2. RECOMMENDATIONS
2.1 That the Queensland Government establish a policy position that, while ensuring that
confidential, security classified and private information collected and held by
government continues to be appropriately protected, enables greater use and re-use
of other publicly available government data and facilitates data-sharing arrangements.
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2.2 That the CC open content licensing model be adopted by the Queensland
Government to enable greater use of publicly available government data and to
support data-sharing arrangements.
2.3 That QSIC and the Office of Economic and Statistical Research continue to work
closely with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General to ensure that any
privacy provisions developed also support new data use, re-use and sharing policies.
2.4 That the Government Information Licensing Framework Project Stage 3: Draft Project
Plan for the next phase of this project be endorsed.
2.5 That the Draft Government Information Licensing Framework toolkit, which
incorporates the six iCommons (Creative Commons Australia) licences, be endorsed
for use in pilot projects proposed for Stage 3, which involves Information Queensland,
the Department of Natural Resources and Water, the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, the Office of Economic
and Statistical Research of Queensland Treasury and the Queensland Spatial
Information Council, enabling testing of the CC licences for multi-agency and
whole-of-Government arrangements.
2.6 That an application be made through the ICT Innovation Fund and Microsoft Program
Committee in the Department of Public Works for further funding, to enable the
technical development of a Government Information Licensing Management System,
consistent with the Draft Government Information Licensing Framework toolkit.
2.7 That a limited number of standard templates be developed to support
information-licensing transactions relating to confidential or private information or
information with commercial value and for which the CC model is not appropriate.