1. Data Sharing Task Force Update Ivan DeLoatch, USGS, ADC Co-chair Alan Edwards, EC, DSTF Co-chair ADC/CBC Joint Committees Meeting Sao Paulo, Brazil 28 February 201i

2. Presentation Overview Short Background Scoping Meeting Questions

3. The GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan The GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, which is ENDORSED by all GEO Members, states: The societal benefits of Earth observations cannot be achieved without data sharing …and then goes on to set out the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles

4. 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.

5. Please note: There is NO GEOSS Data Policy The GEOSS Data Sharing Implementation Guidelines confirm: “GEO welcomes all data contributions into the GEOSS. When registering data in GEOSS, the contributor should present any restrictions arising from relevant international instruments and national policies and legislation, and the duration of each restriction, that is applicable to the exchange of the data, metadata, and products submitted”.

6. GEOSS Data Sharing Action Plan for the Implementation of the GEOSS DSP Builds upon the crucial concept of the full and open exchange and on the Implementation Guidelines accepted by Plenary Notes that the achievement of full and open exchange of, and access to, key datasets will require actions by: –GEO collectively –Members and Participating Organizations individually –GEOSS tasks and cross-cutting activities

7. GEO Collectively Actions 1, 2, 3 and 4 GEO Members Actions 5 and 6 GEO Members and PO Actions 7 and 8 GEOSS Data Sharing Action Plan for the Implementation of the GEOSS DSP Specifies 8 actions to be pursued by:

8. Proposed Data Sharing Action 1 Create the GEOSS Data Collection of Open Resources for Everyone (GEOSS Data-CORE) to address 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

9. Proposed Data Sharing Action 2, 3 & 4 2.Establish a Task Force within GEO to: 3.Maintain the GEOSS Common Infrastructure as the architectural framework essential to implementing the Data Sharing Principles 4.Integrate implementation of the Data Sharing Principles, as appropriate, into the activities of GEO Work Plan Tasks and GEO Committees

10. Proposed Data Sharing Actions 5 and 6 5.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 6.Develop flexible policy frameworks to ensure that a more open data environment is implemented

11. Proposed Data Sharing Action 7 & 8 7.Maximize the number of documented datasets made available on the basis of full and open access 8.Promote with data providers within their territories the benefits of full and open access to data

12. The 2010 GEO-VII Plenary adopted this Action Plan for the Implementation of the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles GEOSS Data Sharing Action Plan

13. Commit(ed GEO Members) to: (i)maximize the number of documented datasets made available on the basis of full & open access; (ii)create the GEOSS Data Collection of Open Resources for Everyone (GEOSS Data CORE), a distributed pool of documented datasets with full, open and unrestricted access at no more than the cost of reproduction and distribution; and (iii)develop flexible national and international policy frameworks to ensure that a more open data environment is implemented, thus putting into practice actions for the implementation of the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles; The 2010 GEO Ministerial Declaration

14. DSTF Scoping Meeting Outcomes 19-21 Jan, Washington DC

15. Basic Framework for the implementation of the Action Plan during 2011* Three data categories will be used initially, (i.e., until at least GEO VIII): –geossDataCore; –geossNonCommercial; –geossOther. *Decisions taken by the DSTF are for the purpose of enabling the DSTF and other parties to carry out the initial work related to the implementation of the GEOSS Data Sharing Action Plan. Based upon this work, the DSTF will make Recommendations to the GEO-VIII Plenary for decision by Plenary. Hence any decisions taken by the DSTF do not constitute the formal position of GEO. They merely provide a framework within which the GEO Community can work during 2011.

16. GEO will not act as a banker. Where costs are charged by the provider, then any financial transactions and transfer of funds must be undertaken directly between the user and data provider. The data provider will be required to work with the user to enforce any restrictions placed on data. The task of the GEO will be to make these restrictions known to the user, based upon the information provided by the data provider, and to facilitate the contact between the user and the provider. Basic Framework for the implementation of the Action Plan during 2011

17. No personally identifiable information will be held by GEO in the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI). All usage information will be aggregated to prevent the identification of individual users. GEO will take a combined GCI-centric approach with a federated User ID approach, using the GCI as a pass-through for user metrics. (Note: GEO needs usage metrics to demonstrate the value of GEOSS.)

18. GEOSS Data-CORE: A Roadmap on Implementation of the GEOSS Data-CORE was developed; A Guidance document on implementation of the GEOSS Data-CORE in the GCI is being developed, (draft sent to the GCI-CT in advance of this mtg); Initially, at least three user scenarios will be tested: –New Data-CORE resources are registered in the GCI; –Data already in the GCI are added to the GEOSS Data- CORE and the metadata are updated; –Catalogue providers identify and label GEOSS Data- CORE data in their existing catalogues.

19. Attribution: The process should allow for attribution requests as well as requirements; The data provider is responsible for putting attribution requests and requirements in the metadata; The DSTF report to the GEO-VIII Plenary should include a section on attribution.

20. Legal Liability: GEO is not a legal entity / juridical person. So it cannot enter into contracts, does not have legal liability, and cannot be sued. It is also questionable whether it could enter directly into licenses. Governments generally cannot be sued since they have sovereign immunity, and UN organizations most probably can also not be sued. This leaves some Participating Organizations exposed to risk, but the risk is likely to be minimal.

21. Legal Liability: Nonetheless, GEO should take a common sense approach toward decreasing risk to GEO, Participating Organizations and GCI service providers. In the interest of full disclosure, GEO should put appropriate legal disclaimers and/or waivers on the GCI website, (but not on individual data sets), and it should be clear when a user is leaving the GEOSS website. Legal liability clauses are (so it was reported) no longer included in Creative Commons licenses, so it is important to put a disclaimer on the GCI website and to possibly give guidance to data providers. A Sub-Group will draft possible legal terms and disclaimers for consideration initially by the Executive Committee.

22. IPR, Licensing & Other Frameworks: The DSTF created a Legal Sub-Group, to help advise the DSTF on these issues. The Legal Sub-Group will be involved in drafting a high-level functional requirements paper. This Sub-Group will put together a draft high level document for the July Executive Committee articulating the general problem, issues and benefits of adopting existing or other schemes of licensing, in order to present options.

23. IPR, Licensing & Other Frameworks: Proposals in this area would not oblige US federal data contributed to the GEOSS to be covered by a license. The Plenary will decide whether a licensing structure should be introduced into GEOSS and what form that structure should take, if a licensing scheme is adopted. The DSTF will provide a report to Plenary describing various options and their respective ramifications, and it may also make recommendations.

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