So when will NMR data be free?

[BAJR]

http://data.gov.uk

I spent a few seconds searching for any archaeology, heritage, historic.. anything! data.

Not a sausage. The question comes from the statement on the front of the website

Advised by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt and others, government is opening up data for reuse. This site seeks to give a way into the wealth of government data and is under constant development. We want to work with you to make it better.
We?re very aware that there are more people like you outside of government who have the skills and abilities to make wonderful things out of public data. These are our first steps in building a collaborative relationship with you.

Now correct me if I am wrong.... but the information is already there...

http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/ Canmore - Scotland
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/ Coflein - Wales
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/profe...ctions/nmr National Monuments Record - England

all come with heavy duty terms that prohibit (without full consent) any commercial use of the data.

The problem comes in that commercial is more likely to allow for innovative use of data. and this data that is copyright... who exactly does it belong to? photographs I sent in to canmore... who has permissions to use them? and who can sell em?

This could be one for Unit of One to enjoy.

What would be so wrong about opening up the NMR data as open source... imagine the potential locked in them... I for one have a few contacts who are raring to utilise the data... but - well... surprise surprise... you do have to make a living... and creating free... is all well and good, but in the end, turns into a cheaper version of what could be.. and a hungry belly.!

So Free the info says I! its mine!:face-approve:

[Odinn]

Information should not be free! It should be very expensive and controlled by me.

[VGC]

I think it's a very grey area, and will never be satisfactorially resolved.

As you say commercial use of the data brings so much innovative (well sometimes) use of it, and can be enterprising. However, if you don't licence commercial use, then that's a big portion of revenue gone.

With regards to submitted photo's that's also tricky. I'd imagine the best situation would be that photographs and so forth that are added to the NMR through the ascension of collections (after a major photographer, archaeologist, architect pass on, or firms go bust etc.) would become property of the said NMR and thus they can charge for them. However photographs that are submitted either as part of a report or site archive, or from a general submition (as I believe you can do through CANMORE) the copyright would still be that of the submittee, and thus couldnt be sold on without royalties?

[GnomeKing]

commercial use should be free or 'nearly free'- after all the commercial work is predicated on social benefit, not capitalist production, or private gain...isn't it?
NMR (or similar) should be largely publicly funded....higher turn-over/wages for archaeologists generates additional tax revenue to public funds.

[Dinosaur]

Can think of an 'independent' commercial archaeology unit that charges quite a lot of money for looking at a large AP collection which isn't actually theirs, it was donated by the original photographers to a certain public institution (which the 'independent' commercial archaeology unit clearly has no formal links with....) for public use many moons ago....only good thing is that hardly anyone knows they have them so they can't be making much money....last time I needed to use them I didn't even get offered a cup of tea! Outrageous! (the tea I mean)....