To paraphrase Douglas Adams: you just won’t believe how big, how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big copyright law is.
Traditional Problems
One of the most common problems researchers face is not being familiar with the legal side of the various licenses under which they can publish their data, software code, and research outputs. Even with the best intentions to share their scientific work – after taking the long journey of writing a research article, collecting data, cleaning it, sharing it according to the FAIR principles, and publishing their source code as open – if researchers do not specify a license stating who can use their work and how, then legally speaking, nobody has the right to use it. Without an open license, the data, the code, and the publication itself remain under the default regime of All rights reserved.
The absence of a license and unclear rights can lead to very practical problems: from a dataset that only opens with an outdated, discontinued proprietary software version, to a lack of proper attribution. Very often, researchers agree to give away full rights and control of their work to journal publishers in order to have their articles published. This is the “black nebula” of closed file formats and restrictive licenses, where good research can remain unread, unshared, and unusable.
What Is an “Open License” and an “Open File Format”?
In the world of research, open licenses and open file formats guarantee that anyone, anywhere, on any machine, can access, read, share, and re-use your work – today, tomorrow, and… even on the Moon.
Open licenses are clear, standardized, machine-readable, and provide exact instructions on how others may use your work. They are usually built on the principles of Creative Commons (CC).
Open file formats are not proprietary and are widely supported. They can be opened by free or open-source software and are designed for durability and interoperability.
Together, they help researchers avoid vendor lock-in, provide legal clarity, and increase the potential for reuse and reproducibility.
How Can Open Licenses Solve Traditional Problems?
Open licenses provide legal clarity and guarantee that users know how they can use a researcher’s data, code, or article. They encourage reuse, adaptation, and dissemination while protecting your authorship.
Open licenses are legal tools that tell the Universe: Yes, you can use this—here are the conditions!
The most common licenses include:
- CC0 (Creative Commons Zero): No rights reserved—public domain.
- CC BY: Use it freely, but credit the author.
- CC BY-SA: Credit the author and share derivative works under the same license (sharealike).
- MIT / Apache / GPL: Licenses for software with varying levels of access and copyleft (with GPL you may need both a towel and a lawyer).
- ODC-BY / ODC-ODbL: For databases—yes, data also needs licensing.
Open licensing is not about giving up ownership. It is about choosing how others can legally and ethically build upon your work.
Open file formats ensure that files can be opened and interpreted later (even without the original software), making collaboration and reuse seamless. They allow for automation and text or data mining.
Examples of open file formats:
- Text: .TXT, .MD, .ODT (instead of .DOC)
- Spreadsheets: .CSV, .ODS (instead of .XLSX)
- Data: .JSON, .XML, .NETCDF, .HDF5
- Images: .SVG, .PNG, .TIFF
- Audio/Video: .OGG, .FLAC, .WEBM
Practical Steps for Using Open Licenses
Step 1: Choose the right license!
- Use ChooseALicense.com or the Creative Commons License Chooser!
- For publications: CC BY is usually the most appropriate.
- For software: MIT, Apache 2.0, or GPL.
- For data: CC0 or CC BY depending on the need for attribution.
- Always clearly indicate the license in your .README file, on your website, and in your metadata.
Step 2: Use licensing tools!
- choosealicense.com
- Creative Commons License Chooser
- Software Sustainability Institute’s guide
Step 3: Put the license in the right place!
- For software code: add a license file in your repository.
- For data: mention the license in metadata and documentation.
- For articles: indicate it in the acknowledgements or in the publication metadata.
- For websites: add a visible CC badge or footer.
Step 4: Be consistent!
- Apply the same license across related documents where possible.
- Avoid mixing open and closed elements!
Step 5: Use open file formats!
- Convert closed formats into open alternatives! (.DOCX → .ODT or .PDF/A).
- Where possible, publish both raw and processed versions of your data!
- Validate file formats using open tools (e.g., OpenRefine for tabular data).
Step 6: Archive properly!
- Deposit your files in a repository that complies with FAIR principles (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, or an institutional repository)!
- Ensure the repository supports persistent identifiers (DOIs)!
- Include a .README and license file with every deposit!
Step 7: Train your team!
- Make open formats and licensing part of your organization’s principles!
- Document your organizational decisions in a Wiki or protocol!
- Share templates and licensing models!
Good Practices and EU Examples
Horizon Europe Programme
- All research results funded by Horizon Europe must be open access and appropriately licensed, usually under CC BY for publications and CC0/ODC-BY for data.
- EU projects must include licensing metadata in repositories to ensure others can find, cite, and reuse your work.
RELIANCE Project
- A set of innovative and interconnected services integrated into EOSC-HUB and used by EOSC research communities to support thematic and multidisciplinary Earth sciences research.
- Works to harmonize data licensing and improve interoperability across disciplines.
OpenAIRE
- An open scholarly communication infrastructure that supports the global research community through a reliable open access network, data sharing, and scholarly communication.
Use open licenses and formats to increase visibility, discoverability, and reusability.
Combine licensing with rich metadata.
OpenAIRE supports automatic license harvesting.
FAIR Principles in Action
- Interoperability and reusability rely heavily on open formats and clear licensing.
- EOSC uses FAIR principles as baseline standards.
Research Communities Lead the Way
- OpenNeuro: shares neuroimaging datasets in .NII.GZ format under a CC0 license.
- RDA (Research Data Alliance): provides guidelines on data sharing and licensing.
- Software Heritage: archives code under appropriate open licenses and identifiers.
Conclusion
Open licenses and open file formats enable collaboration, encourage reuse, meet funder requirements, ensure long-term preservation, and – most importantly – secure authorship.
They are universal, stable, and absolutely essential for surviving the academic space journey, preventing research from vanishing into the “black void.” Using open formats and applying open licenses ensures that files remain accessible and understandable—especially crucial in the age of rapidly developing artificial intelligence.
And most importantly: “Don’t panic!” — you can license openly and without a lawyer.