Brian PrenticeI only just ran across this but last week David Braue reported that the Victorian government here in Australia denied Google access to data they were hoping to use to create a bushfire map mashup. Instead Google has relied on information provided by the Country Fire Authority on fires burning on private lands to create a useful, albeit more limited, map.
It appears the Victorian government is within its right to deny Google access to this information under under legally-established Crown copyright provisions. The burning question – definitely no pun intended – is why?
Let’s put this into perspective. As the devastating effects of the Black Saturday bushfires are sinking in some serious questions are now being asked of the Victorian government. People are demanding answers on why seemingly lax land management policies allowed fuel loads in state parks to pile up. And as the victims explain how they had very little information on the direction, intensity and speed of the fire it has come to light that a telephone-based early warning system has been stalled for over a year due to government bickering over costs.
One might think that under these circumstances government officials would be hyper-sensitive about anything that might create further embarrassment.
Apparently this isn’t the case.
On face value one would think that the state of Victoria would welcome the use of government-generated data by a private organization for the provision of a public service.
Apparently this isn’t the case.
One might think that in order to achieve his vision of “the smart state,” Victorian Premier Brumby would consider the role of copyright laws in fostering a creative and collaborative society – as articulate by Stanford Law Professor Lawrence Lessig in Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy and Free Economy: The Nature and Future of Creativity.
Apparently this isn’t the case.
I’m not really sure what the case is – but I’d sure be interested in getting the Victorian government’s view on this.
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