VMAP0 license update

[Ned Horning]

All,

I wanted to give a quick update on the process to enable the VMAP0 dataset
to be freely distributed.

A couple months ago I contacted colleagues at ESRI and was told that the
only non-public domain data sets in VMAP Level 0 edition 5 are parts (some
admin boundary lines) of the BND  Boundaries) layer and the data sets in the
small scale reference library.  ESRI has a separate license for these other
data sets. 

It is theoretically possible to get a license to redistribute these data.
The time frame, however, for getting small non-monetary license agreements
through the ESRI Contracts Department can take a long time (6 - 8 months).
To do this we would need to contact ESRI's Contract's Department with a list
of the data sets we want to distribute and how we plan to do it. While ESRI
will most likely grant a request to redistribute they, at this time, will
not allow these data to entry into the public domain so we would need to
license these data to end users which is less than ideal.

I am working with folks in the Conservation Commons to lobby ESRI to release
the entire dataset with a Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike license or
something along those lines. ESRI has endorsed the Conservation Commons so
this is an opportunity for them to put their endorsement into action.
Progress has been slow but discussions are happening. 

All the best,

Ned 


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