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Full-Text Articles in Law

Building A Global Knowledge Network Among Geospatial Specialists, Harlan Onsrud Dec 2011

Building A Global Knowledge Network Among Geospatial Specialists, Harlan Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

This presentation discusses the idea for, progress made and challenges confronted by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association in pursuing development of the Geographic Information Knowledge Network found at http://www.giknet.org Objectives and goals of the network are explained as well as suggestions for supporting the network.


Towards Voluntary Interoperable Open Access Licenses For The Global Earth Observation System Of Systems (Geoss), Harlan Onsrud, James Campbell, Bastiaan Van Loenen Dec 2009

Towards Voluntary Interoperable Open Access Licenses For The Global Earth Observation System Of Systems (Geoss), Harlan Onsrud, James Campbell, Bastiaan Van Loenen

Harlan J Onsrud

Access to earth observation data has become critically important for the wellbeing of society. A major impediment to achieving widespread sharing of earth observation data is lack of an operational web-wide system that is transparent and consistent in allowing users to legally access and use the earth observations of others without seeking permission from data contributors or investigating terms of usage on a case-by-case basis. This article explores approaches to supplying a license-based system to overcome this impediment in the context of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. It discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the explored approaches and …


Legal Interoperability In Support Of Spatially Enabling Society, Harlan J. Onsrud Dec 2009

Legal Interoperability In Support Of Spatially Enabling Society, Harlan J. Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

Spatial data is critically important for the wellbeing of society. Yet appropriate spatial data is often very difficult to find and, when found, the legal ability to use it is often in question. Lack of an operational web-wide capability allowing users to legally access and use the geospatial data of others without seeking permission on a case-by-case basis remains as an entrenched major impediment to general spatial enablement for all sectors in society. This chapter presents a legal inter-operability vision for offering, acquiring, and using spatial data and proposes an operational environment for gaining much greater legal clarity and efficiency …


Pervasive Location Tracking: A Privacy Protection Perspective, Harlan Onsrud Mar 2009

Pervasive Location Tracking: A Privacy Protection Perspective, Harlan Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

A laudable goal of ubiquitous computing is to enhance our day-to-day living by invisibly embedding sensors and computing platforms in our stationary and mobile surroundings. Sensors being developed and deployed within distributed computing networks include those able to see (ranging from automated detection of light to identification of specific individuals and objects), hear (detection of specific sounds to transcribing language), smell (detection of specific gases), feel (detection of specific motions, temperature, humidity, etc) and communicate. Sensors in and on our bodies will communicate through our phones, cars, offices, homes, transportation infrastructure, and with objects along our travel paths. Numerous visions …


Creative Commons Licensing And Non-Creative Geographic Data, Harlan Onsrud Jan 2009

Creative Commons Licensing And Non-Creative Geographic Data, Harlan Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

Why does the scientific community need a simple method for letting each of us know that we are allowed legally to build on the work and data products of each other without asking permission? Does merely following the traditional practices of science and giving credit now make me a lawbreaker? What's the problem, how did we get here and what's the solution? Why does the solution for creative works not apply to geographic and other utilitarian data and databases? This presentation addresses these questions and approaches for arriving at solutions.


Liability For Spatial Data Quality, Harlan Onsrud Dec 2008

Liability For Spatial Data Quality, Harlan Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

Liability in data, products, and services related to geographic information systems, spatial data infrastructure, location based services and web mapping services, is complicated by the complexities and uncertainties in liability for information system products and services generally, as well as by legal theory uncertainties surrounding liability for maps. Each application of geospatial technologies to a specific use may require integration of different types of data from multiple sources, assessment of attributes, adherence to accuracy and fitness-for-use requirements, and selection from among different analytical processing methods. All of these actions may be fraught with possible misjudgments and errors. A variety of …


Implementing Geographic Information Technologies Ethically, Harlan J. Onsrud Dec 2007

Implementing Geographic Information Technologies Ethically, Harlan J. Onsrud

Harlan J Onsrud

Spatial technologies are changing relations among citizens, between citizens and businesses, and between citizens and their governments. Profound implications regarding our relationships with each other are being raised by the expanding use of mobile, spatial, and context-aware technologies, the building of interoperable coordinated spatial data infrastructures and pervasive sensor-networks, the use of location as the foundation for many current and future business and scientific information systems, and the widespread enablement of individuals to gather their own spatial data, report it to others and generate their own spatial resources. How can we within the geospatial community better weave our way through …


Big Opportunities In Access To “Small Science” Data, Harlan Onsrud, James Campbell Jun 2007

Big Opportunities In Access To “Small Science” Data, Harlan Onsrud, James Campbell

Harlan J Onsrud

A distributed infrastructure that would enable those who wish to do so to contribute their scientific or technical data to a universal digital commons could allow such data to be more readily preserved and accessible among disciplinary domains. Five critical issues that must be addressed in developing an efficient and effective data commons infrastructure are described. We conclude that creation of a distributed infrastructure meeting the critical criteria and deployable throughout the networked university library community is practically achievable.


Public Commons Of Geographic Data: Research And Development Challenges, Harlan Onsrud, Gilberto Camara, James Campbell, Narindi Sharad Chakravarthy Dec 2003

Public Commons Of Geographic Data: Research And Development Challenges, Harlan Onsrud, Gilberto Camara, James Campbell, Narindi Sharad Chakravarthy

Harlan J Onsrud

Across the globe individuals and organizations are creating geographic data work products with little ability to efficiently or effectively make known and share those digital products with others. This article outlines a conceptual model and the accompanying research challenges for providing easy legal and technological mechanisms by which any creator might affirmatively and permanently mark and make accessible a geographic dataset such that the world knows where the dataset came from and that the data is available for use without the law assuming that the user must first acquire permission.