-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Sharing Satellite Imagery - Compiled and Revisited Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:56:14 -0400 From: Carol McAuliffe <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Dear MAPS-L, First of all, thank you for the thoughtful responses and my apologies for not compiling this sooner! I asked the question during a very busy time and didn’t get a chance to get back to it until now (of course, this seems to be a very busy time as well!). I hope that more conversation will occur on this topic because I think there is potential for a lot of cooperative resource sharing to occur in the area of uncopyrighted satellite imagery. We recently got a request from an EPA librarian because a researcher needed some Landsat images that we owned. Due to the fact that they weren’t copyrighted we were easily able to send her copies of the CDs. This brought to mind an idea to have some sort of database of sharable satellite images which libraries own. We catalog our images but I’m not sure how common that is at this time. This means a lot of what libraries have in the way of satellite imagery isn’t widely known. I think there is a lot more to discuss on this topic but as I am preparing to leave for ALA (as I’m sure many of you are!) I think I will leave it at that for now. The following is what I received from the readers of Maps-L and since a few mentioned sites that have free imagery I want to share with everyone a site that we have found to be very useful here at the University of Florida. https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/ It only covers bands 7, 4, and 2 but it has world-wide coverage for 1990 and 2000 which has been very useful for some of our researchers who don’t need the full range of bands. Looking forward to meeting many of you at ALA in the coming days!! Sincerely, Carol McAuliffe *Carol McAuliffe***,** Map Librarian Map and Imagery Library, Spatial Information Services Unit Government Documents Department George A. Smathers Libraries University of Florida (352) 273-2828 [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> **************************BEGINNING OF RESPONSES**************************** *From Mary Laarsgard:* My attitude is that any uncopyrighted satellite imagery can indeed be shared as per your comment below. Mary *From Matt Fox:* You might check this out. http://geocarta.blogspot.com/2007/03/non-profit-formed-to-give-away.html Matt *From Jeff Essic:* Two sites come to mind where satellite data is already being shared: Global Land Cover Facility and glovis.usgs.gov. See the first several links in the overview at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/gis/landsat7.html. Jeff Essic **************END OF RESPONSES****************BELOW IS ORIGINAL EMAIL ABOUT Sharing Satellite Imagery****************** -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Sharing Satellite Imagery? Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:31:15 -0400 From: Carol McAuliffe <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Dear MAPS-L, I have a topic for discussion I would like to bring up about copyright issues surrounding satellite imagery. First a little background. One constant question I am asking myself is, what can we do to make our collection stronger, more relevant, more useful to the researchers here at the University. One resource that is being used extensively by a variety of disciplines is satellite imagery. Many of the colloquiums and talks that I go to reference the use of satellite imagery in their research in one form or another. When the researcher is questioned about where he gets the imagery they often chuckle and talk about the what they went through getting it, whether it was via his department, the country of which the imagery was taken, or from their own pocket. Only a few of the researchers here at UF know about the fact that they can write a proposal requesting that the library use funds to purchase satellite imagery for them. We are fairly selective and focus on our high interest areas and also give preference to images that are adjacent to ones that we already have. However, given the cost of the imagery, it would be impossible for us to fill all of the requests if this service was widely utilized even if image was in one of our high interest areas. The only solution seems it seems to me is resource sharing through cooperative agreements with other libraries. Here is the question I pose to the group, given that some of the satellite imagery out there is not copyrighted (Landsat 7), is it unethical or even illegal to share /complete/ copies of the data amongst libraries to enhance their collections? It seems to me that if it is possible, this could be an excellent way for libraries to fill in gaps in their collections. Satellite imagery is so expensive we can only buy a handful of images a year and overall that encompasses a VERY small percentage of what is out there and what is actually needed by our researchers. Thoughts? Opinions? I apologize if this has been discussed in detail in the past. I did look in the archives to see what I could find but a lot of it was very old information at this point. In case it is helpful to anyone, what I found from 1998 is in blue below. Thanks to anyone who wants to offer their opinions on this topic! I will compile the responses if it is desired. *Carol McAuliffe***,** Map Librarian Map and Imagery Library, Spatial Information Services Unit Government Documents Department George A. Smathers Libraries University of Florida (352) 273-2828 [log in to unmask] <BLOCKED::mailto:[log in to unmask]> --- Begin Forwarded Message --- Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 11:49:08 -0500 From: Raymond Byrnes [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: copyright and Landsat images <fwd> Mr. Winters: The Landsat copyright issue is, indeed, somewhat confusing. Beginning in 1972, the first five Landsats were launched by NASA as ongoing research projects, while a growing number of users, especially within the Federal government, came to use Landsat data in a routine operational mode. Until September of 1985, when Congress determined to see the program commercialized, Landsat data were in the public domain, with no restrictions on making copies. At that time, EOSAT, later replaced by Space Imaging Co. of Thornton, CO, was given exclusive rights to market data from Landsats 4 and 5, both of which were operational (with Landsats 1-3 retired from service). Commercial rights on newly acquired Thematic Mapper (TM) data are retained for ten years, then the data return to the public domain. So, Landsat TM data from the late 1980's are now available from the USGS EROS Data Center at the cost of fulfilling a user's request and with no copyright restrictions. As I recall, all Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data rights were returned by EOSAT to the Federal government around in 1992. (The MSS was the original Landsat imaging instrument with a 90-meter ground resolution.) Therefore, copyright restrictions are in place for TM data originally purchased from EOSATor Space Imaging if the data are less than ten years old. Outside of that, as I recall, no restrictions apply. To be safe, in case I have overlooked any exceptions, you can contact Tom Holm at the EROS Data Center (605-594-6960) or Space Imaging (www.spaceimaging.com). Landsat 7, to be launched by NASA in April of 1999, will mark a return of the program to the Federal sector, with data once again available at the cost of fulfilling orders and with no copyright restrictions. Ray Byrnes USGS Liaison Land Satellite Programs (703-648-4787) > >> Johnnie Sutherland <[log in to unmask]> 11/30 5:05 PM >>> --- Begin Forwarded Message --- Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 14:07:25 -0600 (CST) From: christopher winters [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: copyright and Landsat images Does anyone have any knowledge of the copyright issues surrounding Landsat data? Landsat data are in some senses products of a U.S. government agency hence ought to free of any kind of copyright restrictions, but of course these data are quite expensive and the agency involved has a peculiar legal status. I am particularly interested in hearing about the legality of allowing purchased Landsat data to be copied. Thanks in advance for any comments. Chris Winters University of Chicago Library [log in to unmask] --- End Forwarded Message ---