Assigning Creative Commons Licenses to Research Metadata: Issues and Cases

This paper discusses the problem of lack of clear licensing and transparency of usage terms and conditions for research metadata. Making research data connected, discoverable and reusable are the key enablers of the new data revolution in research. We discuss how the lack of transparency hinders discovery of research data and make it disconnected from the publication and other trusted research outcomes. In addition, we discuss the application of Creative Commons licenses for research metadata, and provide some examples of the applicability of this approach to internationally known data infrastructures.Comment: 9 pages. Submitted to the 29th International Conference on Legal Knowledge and Information Systems (JURIX 2016), Nice (France) 14-16 December 201

Investigation Interoperability Problems in Pharmacy Automation: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

The aim of this case study is to investigate the nature of interoperability problems in hospital systems automation. One of the advanced healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia is the host of the study. The interaction between the pharmacy system and automated medication dispensing cabinets is the focus of the case system. The research method is a detailed case study where multiple data collection methods are used. The modelling of the processes of inpatient pharmacy systems is presented using Business Process Model Notation. The data collected is analysed to study the different interoperability problems. This paper presents a framework that classifies health informatics interoperability implementation problems into technical, semantic, organisational levels. The detailed study of the interoperability problems in this case illustrates the challenges to the adoption of health information system automation which could help other healthcare organisations in their system automation projects

The Limitation of Intellectual Property in the Name of Competition

Intellectual property (“IP”) is often credited with providing an incentive for inventors to develop their creativity. Through IP protection, inventors can recoup their investment and make a profit. That idea, which has inspired legislators worldwide, is currently challenged in the European case law on competition. In the last twenty years, five cases have limited, in the name of competition, the possibility for firms to use IP rights acquired in conformity with applicable laws. These cases are examined in this article. I analyze the scope of the emerging jurisprudence and investigate the arguments articulated, in support of their position, by the European instances involved

Investigating distributed simulation at the Ford motor company

Engine production is a complex process that requires the manufacturing and assembly of a wide variety of components to create a varied product mix. Simulation plays a key role in the planning process of a new production line to determine if it can meet expected demand. However, these simulations can be very time consuming and can often take up to a day to execute a single run. This paper investigates how distributed simulation based on the IEEE 1516 High Level Architecture and the emerging standard COTS Simulation Package Interoperability Product Development Group (CSPI-PDG) Type I Interoperability Reference Model could be used to reduce the time taken for a single simulation run. CSP interoperability and the problem of integrating CSPs with HLA software (the runtime infrastructure) are presented. New prototype benchmarking software, the COTS Simulation Package Emulator (CSPE), which is being developed to investigate distributed simulation problems, is discussed. The paper then develops a case study of how this was used to investigate the feasibility of using distributed simulation at Ford. The paper discusses results obtained from this case study and suggests that distributed simulation could indeed be beneficial to Ford

Open data and Earth observations

Abstract Earth observations (EO) represent a growing and valuable resource for many scientific, research and practical applications carried out by users around the world. Access to EO data for some applications or activities, like climate change research or emergency response activities, becomes indispensable for their success. However, often EO data or products made of them are (or are claimed to be) subject to intellectual property law protection and are licensed under specific conditions regarding access and use. Restrictive conditions on data use can be prohibitive for further work with the data. Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is an initiative led by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) with the aim to provide coordinated, comprehensive, and sustained EO and information for making informed decisions in various areas beneficial to societies, their functioning and development. It seeks to share data with users world-wide with the fewest possible restrictions on their use by implementing GEOSS Data Sharing Principles adopted by GEO. The Principles proclaim full and open exchange of data shared within GEOSS, while recognizing relevant international instruments and national policies and legislation through which restrictions on the use of data may be imposed. The proposed paper focuses on the issue of the legal-interoperability of data that are shared with varying restrictions on use with the aim to explore the options of making data interoperable. The paper analyses legal protection regimes and their norms applicable to EO data. Based on the findings, it highlights the existing public law statutory, regulatory, and policy approaches, as well as private law instruments, such as waivers, licenses and contracts, that may be used to place the datasets in the public domain, or otherwise make them publicly available for use and re-use without restrictions. It uses GEOSS and the particular characteristics of it as a system to identify the ways to reconcile the vast possibilities it provides through sharing of data from various sources and jurisdictions on the one hand, and the restrictions on the use of the shared resources on the other. On a more general level the paper seeks to draw attention to the obstacles and potential regulatory solutions for sharing factual or research data for the purposes that go beyond research and education

Sustainable Design and Building Information Modelling: Case Study of Energy Plus House, Hieron's Wood, Derbyshire UK

In this paper the method for sustainable design analysis (SDA) integration with building information modelling (BIM) is explored, through the prism of a complex case study based research. BIM model federation and integration challenges are reported, including issues with combining geometry and managing attribute data. The research defines SDA as rapid and quantifiable analysis of multitude of sustainable alternatives and ‘what if’ questions posed by a design team during the early stages of the project, when the benefits of correct decisions can significantly exceed the actual investment required. The SDA concept and BIM integration findings are explained from conceptualisation to calculation stage, emphasising the importance of an iterative over a linear approach. The research approach adopted has led to more informed sustainable solutions at earlier stages of project development, with a generally lower level of development (LOD) and computational/modelling effort required

A Developers Bill of Rights: What Open Source Developers Want in a Software License

In this paper, we study open source developers' perspectives on the nature and structure of software licenses as well as the processes through which these licenses are designed. Recent history has shown that software licensing approaches are critical to the dynamics of the software industry and the open source ecosystem, and thus of interest to the many policy makers and practitioners that follow this part of the global economy. The study is timely, since it informs the debate on the revision of the GPL license, one of the most popular licenses in use. This revision has the potential to shape the software industry for many years to come; hence it is important that the governance process for this revision reflect the needs of the broader software community. Our study employed structured interviews to capture data on open source developers' opinions about software licenses. We focused on how license choices impact the relationship that exists between open source and proprietary software. Our findings reveal that developers are primarily interested in flexibility and choice when considering a licensing approach. Most developers we interviewed used open source licenses to tap into the open source development approach. They chose this option for flexibility in developing a great product, without necessarily espousing any particular philosophy about how the software should be distributed. Developers also generally valued flexibility in the choice of business model for distributing software. The actions of the Free Software Foundation, which is revising the GPL, appear not to reflect the opinions of the broader community, but the agenda of a small minority that may represent as little as 10% of the open source developer community. Sharing data on the needs and perceived rights of developers, both open source and proprietary, will help the software community, industry experts and policymakers to champion a more flexible and responsive approach to sharing and developing software. Policy makers should work to preserve what has made the software ecosystem successful: innovation, community input and involvement, and developer freedom of choice.