Cardiff Data Licences and Reuse Rules
Cardiff Council provides guidance on reuse of its datasets and digital information for residents, researchers and businesses in Cardiff, Wales. This guide summarises the council's stated licence approach, how reuse is authorised, common restrictions, complaint and appeal routes, and practical steps to request or republish council data. It is aimed at anyone reusing council-held information for analysis, services or publication and explains where to find the official licence text and council contact points.
Scope and Applicable Licences
Cardiff Council publishes open datasets and transparency information and indicates the terms under which its data may be reused; the council references national open licensing standards for public sector information. Cardiff Council transparency and open data[1] provides the primary municipal page on openness and dataset availability. The standard licence commonly used for UK public sector data is the Open Government Licence v3, which sets attribution and reuse conditions for many local authority datasets.Open Government Licence v3[2]
Penalties & Enforcement
Data licences for council material are contractual and copyright-based rather than criminal bylaws; specific monetary penalties are generally not listed on the council page and enforcement typically proceeds through civil remedies and licence termination where terms are breached.
- Fines: not specified on the cited page; enforcement is ordinarily civil and based on licence terms and copyright remedies.
- Escalation: first or repeat breaches are not given fixed fine ranges on the council page; remedies include notice, withdrawal of licence or court action; not specified on the cited page.
- Non-monetary sanctions: licence termination, takedown requests, injunctions or copyright claims; specific orders or suspension procedures are not detailed on the council page.
- Enforcer and contact route: Information Governance / Legal Services at Cardiff Council manage reuse queries and complaints; see the council contact pages in Help and Support below.[1]
- Appeals and review: formal appeal routes are not specified on the cited transparency page; appeals against legal notices or enforcement would follow the council's general complaints and legal review procedures and statutory routes for information disputes.[1]
- Defences/discretion: licences such as OGL allow reuse with attribution and without misrepresentation; exceptions like personal data, third-party copyright or commercially sensitive information may limit reuse.
Applications & Forms
There is no single universal "reuse application" form published on the council transparency page for standard open datasets; reuse is normally permitted under the stated licence terms and attribution requirements. If you require access to restricted or bespoke datasets, you must contact the council via the Information Governance or departmental contact points listed below; specific application forms for bespoke data requests are not published on the cited page.
Practical Requirements for Reuse
- Attribution: include the specified attribution statement when republishing council data, as required by the Open Government Licence where applicable.[2]
- Restrictions: do not imply official endorsement and do not mislead about the source or accuracy of council data.
- Third-party rights: check for third-party copyright, sensitive personal data or licensing exceptions before reuse.
- Updates and versions: cite dataset version or publication date and monitor council pages for updates.
Action Steps
- Confirm licence: check the dataset metadata on Cardiff Council's open data page and the OGL terms before reuse.[1]
- Contact the council: for restricted datasets or clarification, contact Information Governance or the dataset owner via the council contact pages in Resources below.
- Request bespoke access: where data is not openly published, submit a formal request outlining purpose, format and intended reuse.
- Appeal or dispute: use the council complaints procedure or legal remedies if you receive a takedown or licence withdrawal; time limits are not specified on the transparency page.
FAQ
- Which licence covers Cardiff Council open datasets?
- The council references national open data practices and many datasets are offered under the Open Government Licence v3 or similar public sector licences; check each dataset's metadata for the precise licence.[1][2]
- Can I sell services built on Cardiff Council data?
- Yes, the Open Government Licence permits commercial reuse subject to attribution and other licence terms, but check for dataset-specific restrictions and third-party rights before commercial use.[2]
- What happens if I breach the licence terms?
- Consequences are primarily civil: licence termination, takedown requests or legal action; specific fines and penalties are not stated on the council open data page.[1]
How-To
- Locate the dataset on the Cardiff Council transparency or open data pages and read the metadata and licence statement.[1]
- Confirm whether the dataset is under the Open Government Licence v3 or has a different licence; follow any attribution wording provided.[2]
- If the data is restricted, contact the dataset owner or Information Governance with a clear purpose statement and format request.
- If you receive a takedown or dispute, follow the council complaints process and seek legal advice for contract or copyright disputes.
Key Takeaways
- Many Cardiff datasets use public-sector open licences; always check the dataset metadata.
- Attribution and third-party rights are essential when republishing council data.
Help and Support / Resources
- Cardiff Council contact and departmental directory
- Cardiff Council Data Protection and Information Governance
- Cardiff Council Transparency and Open Data
- Open Government Licence v3 (The National Archives)