Understanding Open Data: Definition, Licenses, and Marketing Applications

Open data is information that anyone can freely access, use, modify, and share, and it must meet three conditions: an open license, a machine-readable format, and access at marginal cost. The Open Knowledge Foundation’s Open Definition 2.1 establishes this standard, while licenses such as CC0, CC BY 4.0, ODbL, and the UK’s OGL 3.0 provide legal authorization. Governments in the United States and Europe promote open data through the OPEN Government Data Act and EU Directive 2019/1024, respectively. Marketing applications such as geofencing and weather-triggered advertising rely on open geospatial data.