In recent years, Creative Commons and its related organizations have been approached by many institutions and governments for help in implementing open licensing and developing Open Policy materials and strategies. By “Open Policy” we mean policies where publicly funded resources are developed and released as Openly Licensed Resources. One example is the $2 million TAACCCT grant programthat we have previously reported on.
There is therefore an urgent need for the community to support government policymakers in successfully creating, adopting and implementing Open Policies. At the same time, Creative Commons from all countries worldwide have expressed the need for an information hub where various Open Policies can be uploaded and discussed and analyzed.
The Open Community needs access to existing Open Policies, legislation and action plans on how Open Policies are created, processed and passed. We need information on the problems that arise and how they were overcome and because each country has different policies and opportunities, those involved need support in drafting Open Policies and Strategies tailored to their needs.
For these reasons, Creative Commons created the Open Policy Network (OPN). The Network's goal is to encourage the creation, adoption, and implementation of Open Policies and Practices that advance the common good by providing legal, organizational, and government policymakers with information and expertise, and to serve as a hub for communication between those who need help and those who can provide it.
According to the Network's manifesto, it is considered that:
Adopting Open Policies can maximize the return on government investment and promote the existence of a global web of Common Resources for innovative uses.
Government-funded resources must be Openly Licensed Resources.
Open Policies require, from the outset, licenses that are compatible with the Open Knowledge Foundation's Open Knowledge Definition and preferably Open Licenses that require at least Attribution ( CC BY) for publicly funded content and Open Licenses with no requirements (CC0) for publicly funded data.
The Open Policy Network is a Network Open to all, as long as they agree to contribute and adapt to the mission and guidelines.
The Open Policy Network aligns with the proposals of existing initiatives such as the Budapest Open Access Initiative, Paris Open Educational Resources Declaration, Cape Town Declaration, Panton Principles, and theWashington Declaration on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest.
Take part too!
Initially, the Open Policy Network is led by Creative Commons , but the vision of the central leaders is to organize the Network each time, after a certain time limit, passing from group to group. If you are interested in getting involved in the network either individually or as an organization, click here.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 | CreativeCommons
