GMESMarineService

MY OCEAN

5th GEO Europeanprojects’ Workshop

Frédéric ADRAGNAMyOcean Project Manager

London – 8/9 February 2011

GMESMarineService

MY OCEAN

Some personal thoughts about « Open and Free »

data policy for GEOSS Data Core

and the need forFull Traceability

Marine Core Service

“Open and Free” data policy is a nice, simple and very “noble” objective.

But in practice, it is much more complicated than that, … (due to the attached licences) and this goal might not be reachable…

More, it would not be accepted, neither by data providers nor by users, … unless we adopt clear rules (licence) and full traceability !

Let’s explain…

Open and Free Data policy

Marine Core Service

A product might be “offered” (under some conditions), but is never “free”.

On the contrary, there are (huge) costs : to acquire the data (maintain the sensors network) to maintain and operate the processing chains to calibrate the data ; to conduct Quality control to transform the data into products to disseminate the products through a nice Portal

with user-friendly functionalities (catalogue, …) to archive and preserve the data / products to improve the whole system / products

Who will support the costs, why, for how long ?

Can a Product be “Free” ?

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A product is the result of different processings & transformations, made by different actors : from raw data (level 0) to higher level products (level 3 to 5)

Who is the owner of the final product ?

What are the commitments for what regards accuracy, compliance with specifications, continuity, …

Who is responsible / accountable for the product quality ? Which “authority” is able to guaranty (certify) the Quality ?

Shall the users credit the owners ? Which owner(s) ?

We need rules thus it’s not fully “Open”

Can a product be really “Open”

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Will a Producer (or payer) continue to pay for products if it is not well granted (credited) ?

Will a producer accept to “loose the control” (feedback) of data : what kind of users ? for what applications ? What are the feedbacks ?

Will a User accept to use products without commitments (guaranty) on Quality or continuity ?

Would you accept to eat meat (even for free) if you don’t know the origin and the quality ?

Users / Producers point of view

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SeaWIFS data are owned by NASA and distributed by GeoEye (Orbimage)

They are made available to GMES services by ESA (EC)

They are transformed into products by MyOcean

MyOcean has strong commitments on quality, availability, timeliness, continuity for all its products (from the “Service Level Agreement” and EC rules)…

From the terms of the “MyOcean licence”, a User shall credit “MyOcean” when using a MyOcean product why not NASA or GeoEye, or ESA, or EC or FP7 ?

What happens if the products contains or (leads to) wrong information ? (or missing product) Who is accountable ?

Example #1 : SeaWIFS

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CNES owns Jason-2 altimetry data (raw data)

CNES calibrates, transforms and distributes the level 1&2 products through a dedicated Web Portal (AVISO)

In parallel, Jason-2 data are made available (for free) to MyOcean, which also produces level 2 products, but distributed through MyOcean Web Portal…

MyOcean will place all these products into the “GEOSS Data Core” catalogue and its Web Portal.

Who shall be credited by Users ? GEOSS, MyOcean or CNES ?

How can CNES know if its data is useful, used, by who, for what applications ?

Thus, will CNES continue to pay to deliver altimetry data ?

How can CNES have Users’ feedbacks in order to improve the products or the next satellite ?

Example #2 : Jason-2

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I propose that GEOSS adopt (and promote) a systematic& comprehensive Traceability for all products, and for both descending and ascending directions.

It should give confidence to the users about product quality and reliability.

It should allow producers to be granted (credited) and to get users’ feedback, which is essential if they want to improve the product and to continue to pay (receive funds) for it…

A proposal for GEOSS

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From “Producers” down to “Users”

Should contain : all useful information about the origin of the data

(sensors used, calibration applied, …)

the list of transformations applied (with version number – Ref. – of the processing chains).

The name and role of all the “contributors”

The responsibility (could be “no responsibility”)

Ownership – Restrictions of use (if any)

Who should be granted (licence)

Descending Traceability

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From “Users” back to “Producers”

To be placed in the “conditions of use” in “cascade licence” : each “intermediate producer” shall inform its

upstream provider, in cascade, about the downstream use of the products

Should contain : Statistics about use (number of users)

Domain of applications

User satisfaction / user feedback on Quality

Any other users’ feedback

Ascending Traceability

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The Licensee will not distribute any MyOcean Product in its original form via any media. (to avoid uncontrolled distribution)

The Licensee will ensure that original My Ocean products - or value added products or derivative works developed from MyOcean Products including publications and pictures - shall credit MyOcean by explicitly making mention of the originator (MyOcean) in the following manner: “Generated using MyOcean Products”

The Licensee will and will procure that its staff, students, contractors, agents and customers maintain such records to document and trace use of MyOcean Products. The Licensee will make such records available to the MyOcean Consortium upon reasonable notice being given. This requirement will be propagated in all descending licences.

All Intellectual Property Rights in MyOcean Products belong, and will continue to belong, to the entities comprising the MyOcean Consortium/or its licensors.

Ex : extract from MyOcean licence

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I fully support the “Open and Free” data policy, but with clear “Conditions of Use” (licence), among which a “two-way full Traceability” is of utmost importance.

Descending traceability (simple) should provide users with all useful information and give confidence on Product Quality, continuity, …

Ascending traceability (more complicated : to be “invented”) is crucial is we want products to be funded on the long run.

In Conclusion

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MyOcean is funded by EU and FP7 ! …