Creative Commons and Data Dissemination at an Academic Data Center: Issues and Potential Benefits

With multiple objectives, the Creative Commons (CC) licensing movement is making inroads into the academic community. In parallel, efforts are under way to investigate the characteristics and potential for creating a science commons based on open access to data and advanced information technology. CIESIN, the Center for International Earth Science Information Network, through its NASA-funded Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), is experimenting with incorporating creative commons licensing into its publicly-available data and information products. This paper will describe the issues CIESIN has encountered surrounding implementing CC licensing as part of a data center dissemination strategy. Particular focus will be on the challenges of using a creative commons approach within an academic context and on the potential benefits for end-users