# Licenses

License information for research data and metadata is important because it informs users what they allowed to do with data and metadata. Without an explicit license, reuse is restricted. Licenses should not be created individually but existing licenses should be used.

Overview of existing standards

# Creative Commons (CC)

Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that enables sharing and reuse of creativity and knowledge through the provision of free legal tools. Current version is 4.0. The standard license for all research data stored in the BonaRes repository is CC-BY that facilitates maximum distribution and usage of data.

# Datenlizenz Deutschland (Data License Germany)

Was created by federal and state governments in Germany during the work at the Open Data Portal and has been specially developed for administrative data. Current version is 2.0.

# GeoLizenz

This license was developed by the German GeoBusiness Commission (GIW-Kommission), which was founded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The license is intended for geo-data, metadata and geo-data services.

# GNU General Public License

GNU is intended to guarantee freedom to share and change all versions of a program and to make sure it remains free software for all its users.

# Open Data Commons (ODC)

Open Data Commons is a project of the Open Knowledge Foundation with the aim to provide legal solutions for open data: Open Database License (ODbL) and Attribution License.

# Open Software License (OSL-3.0)

OSL applies to any original work of authorship whose owner has placed the following licensing notice adjacent to the copyright notice for the Original Work: “Licensed under the Open Software License version 3.0”.