Guidance for information providers
This section outlines the purpose of the Open Government Licence and explains public sector bodies need to do to offer their information and data under it.
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Open Government Licence: guidance for information providers (PDF, 0.09Mb)
What is the Open Government Licence?
The Open Government Licence is an open licensing model and tool for public sector bodies to license the re-use of their information and data easily. It consists of a simple set of terms and conditions to which public sector bodies simply point as the relevant licence. Use of information under the Open Government Licence is free and there is no distinction between those using information for commercial or non-commercial purposes.
Any public sector body can make their information available for use and re-use under the Open Government Licence. The National Archives has developed the Open Government Licence to enable the free use and re-use of public sector information, including information covered by Crown copyright and database right, under a common open licence. This ensures harmonised terms across the public sector, compliance with the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 and reduces any administrative burden from public sector bodies in permitting the use and re-use of the information they hold and produce.
Crown copyright
Information owned by the Crown is offered for use and re-use under the Open Government Licence by authority of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, an official in The National Archives. The Controller manages Crown copyright and Crown database rights on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. Further information about the meaning of Crown copyright and Crown database right, including a list of Crown bodies, can be found on our Copyright pages
Further information
For more detail about what the Open Government Licence covers, including the scope of Crown copyright and database right information offered, see:
What the Open Government Licence covers
How to make information available for use and re-use under the Open Government Licence
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