New Zealand's State Services Commission has released a draft framework on OA to public sector information, on which it is soliciting comment. Under the draft, an agency would evaluate a particular work and choose from one of the Creative Commons licenses (with the most permissive, the Attribution license, generally recommended) or a to-be-developed more restrictive license, or a certification that the work/data is not subject to copyright. The draft backs away from an earlier recommendation of CC Zero, which would effectively waive Crown copyright. The framework recommends that PSI generally be available gratis, with any charges limited only to reasonable costs of distribution.
It's not immediately clear to what extent publicly-funded research is included in the policy (see excerpt below); I'll contact the commission to ask, and knowledgeable readers are encouraged to contact me. (Note: See update below.) From the announcement:
in both cases with a view to allowing their re-use by others. (It does not apply to information or works containing personal or other sensitive information).
The draft NZGOAL sets out a series of policy principles which embrace, among other things, the notions of open access, open licensing, creativity, authenticity, non-discrimination and open formats. ...
Those who read all three documents (the draft NZGOAL, the Discussion Paper and the Summary and Analysis of Departmental Feedback) will see that we have changed our approach slightly from that envisaged in the Discussion Paper and the Summary and Analysis of Departmental Feedback. The main changes are as follows: ...
While, in the Summary and Analysis of Departmental Feedback, we had contemplated a potential place for the Creative Commons Zero tool, we have decided not to advocate its use in NZGOAL. Suggesting to agencies that they consider waiving Crown copyright or other copyright in their copyright works (which would be the effect of advocating Creative Commons Zero) would raise a miscellany of policy and legal issues that are beyond the scope of NZGOAL. Moreover, we do not consider the use of Creative Commons Zero to be necessary. ...
Please join this discussion. The last day for receiving comment will be Friday 9 October 2009. You can add a comment to this post, the sections of the draft NZGOAL, and/or email your comments directly to nzgoal@ssc.govt.nz if you wish.
So far as copyright works are concerned, NZGOAL proposes that agencies apply the most liberal of the New Zealand Creative Commons law licences to those of their copyright works that are appropriate for release, unless there is a restriction which would prevent this. The most liberal Creative Commons licence is the Attribution (BY) licence. So far as non-copyright information is concerned, NZGOAL recommends the use of clear “no-known rights” statements, to provide certainty for people wishing to re-use that information.
When procuring, preparing or commissioning information, data and copyright works, State Services agencies are encouraged to consider whether such information, data and works should, in accordance with these Policy Principles, be released to the public for re-use. ...
Update (September 21, 2009): As to the question of whether publications resulting from publicly-funded research would be covered by the principles, Keitha Booth of the New Zealand State Services Commission responded:
... Our current thinking for the draft New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework (NZGOAL) is that works produced by or for New Zealand government departments and Crown entities using public funds would be "public sector works". By contrast, works produced by scientists using research grants would not. ...
Posted by
Gavin Baker at 8/28/2009 09:09:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
