The information in this list was compiled by Andrew Mandelbaum with the assistance of Ariana Tuckey.
Parliaments are increasingly seeking to enable citizens to reuse, mix and republish parliamentary information, recognizing the potential of ordinary citizens to harness technology to explore and analyze data in innovative ways. A primary concern for parliaments and citizens alike is the way parliamentary information is licensed and whether or not it conforms with open data principles, such as those captured in the open definition, the Declaration on Parliamentary Openness, or the 10 Principles for Opening Up Government Information. These documents encourage parliaments to publish information in machinereadable formats and to allow for citizen reuse and republication by default (recognizing that exceptions may exist in discrete and narrowly defined cases).
While many parliaments are adopting ‘open licenses’ in order to meet the open standard, others are simply placing information in the public domain. The list below describes the licensing standards that select parliaments are using to allow citizens to reuse and republish parliamentary information.
Australia
Chamber: Parliament of Australia
Website: http://www.aph.gov.au/Help/Disclaimer_Privacy_Copyright
License: Creative Commons BYNCND 3.0
License Wording: Available here.
Brazil
Chamber: Chamber of Deputies (e-Democracia)
License: Creative Commons
Website: http://edemocracia.camara.gov.br/
License Wording: Available here. “Except when explicitly mentioned, or in the case of citation (properly indicated in the text, through differentiated type, quotes and / or additional left margin) of others’ material or illustration within the limits established by Law 9.610/98, all original textual content posted on eDemocracy Portal is freely available to read, use, redistribution or modification, among other rights, as defined in the license Creative Commons.”
European Union
Chamber: European Parliament
License: EUPL v. 1.1
Website: http://www.at4am.org/eupl/
License Wording: Avaliable here.
France
Chamber: Senate
Website: http://data.senat.fr/
License: Open License
License Wording: Available here.
Italy
Chamber: Chamber of Deputies
License: CC BY SA
Website: http://dati.camera.it/it/
License Wording: Available here.
Chamber: Senate
License: CC BY 3.0
Website: http://dati.senato.it/
License Wording: Available here.
New Zealand
Chamber: New Zealand Parliament
Website: http://www.parliament.nz/ennz/pb/legislation/
License: Creative Commons BY 3.0
License Wording: Available here.
Sweden
Chamber: Swedish Parliament
Website: http://data.riksdagen.se/
License: Not licensed
License Wording: Available here. "Open data may be used free of charge and without needing licences.”
United Kingdom
Chamber(s): House of Commons and House of Lords
Website: http://www.parliament.uk
License: Open Parliament License
License Wording: Available here. “You are encouraged to use and re-use the information that is available under this license freely and flexibly, with only a few conditions. Using information under this license Use of copyright and database right material made available under this license (the ‘information’) indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions below. The Licensor grants you a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use the information subject to the conditions below. This license does not affect your freedom under fair dealing or fair use or any other copyright or database right exceptions and limitations…”
United States
Chamber: House of Representatives
Website: http://www.house.gov/content/site_tools/terms_of_use.php
License: Not licensed
License Wording: Click here for more information.
