How you license open data impacts who can use it and for what. Surprisingly, open data programs may overlook this crucial policy choice.
It can sometimes take a lot of effort to publish open data. A smart licensing strategy can help maximize your return by allowing the broadest set of users to leverage your data.
Below is a set of resources that informed our thinking on how we chose to license all SF open data under the “Public Domain and Dedication License” (PDDL). More on our final choice in our blog post “Data License Liberation Day”.