Geographic Data and the Law: Defining New Challenges

The increasing availability and use of geographic data in today's society give rise to many legal barriers and pitfalls, which are often unknown to or underestimated by policymakers and stakeholders. Geographic Data and the Law stands at the forefront of current research on a topic of increasing urgency in the geographic information field: the legal challenges relating to spatial data information (SDI).

The expert authors highlight current and emerging practices and trends in tackling these challenges and showcase how law and policy can be used proactively to stimulate the use of geographic data In a three-part presentation, the book deals with open licensing and data lifecycle regulation; limitations on the availability of geographic data based on privacy, liability, and national security; and the interplay between the public and private sectors on the market for geographic data and information products. Bringing together contributions from knowledgeable and well-known scholars and practitioners in the field, this book is a must-read for academics, practitioners, and policymakers dealing with any aspect of geographic data.

Joep Crompvoets is senior researcher at the Public Management Institute of the University of Leuven and the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructure and Land Administration of the University of Melbourne.