Open Database License Draft Available for Comments, Open Data Commons, February 27, 2009.

After more than a year of drafting and consultation with interested communities, especially Open Street Map, the current (beta) draft of the Open Database License (ODbL) was released for public comments today. We’re delighted to have reached this stage and welcome comments and suggestions from interested parties.

• Open Database License (ODbL) public beta (PDF file)
• Comments on the license should be submitted through co-ment: http://www.co-ment.net/text/844/ (or, less preferably, on the wiki or the mailing list — see below).

Comments are due by 23:59 GMT on 20 March 2009, with an expected launch of the completed ODbL on 28 March 2009. There is also:

• An ODC email discussion list where discussion of license drafts and other ODC matters takes place.
• A project wiki page

Comment. The ODbL is, as Rufus Pollock describes it, the “Attribution, Share-Alike” data license. Compare the ODC’s Public Domain Dedication and Licence, its “no rights reserved” license.

See also our past posts on Open Data Commons.