The Office of Fair Trading’s long awaited market study into the commercial use of public sector information makes interesting reading. It appeared too late for this week’s edition but we’ll be taking a close look next week. It doesn’t recommend “free data” – that possibility was never in its remit – but it does list a catalogue of obstructive behaviour and opaque pricing.

One public sector agency is singled out as a special case because of the problems encountered by users of its information, and for the way “previous attempts by regulators and other bodies to influence [its] behaviour…. have met with resistance”. If you can’t guess which one, and are in a hurry to find out, read The Commercial Use of Public Information, (OFT 861), Office of Fair trading. www.oft.gov.uk

 

 

The following posts may be related...(the database guesses):
• Show Us A Better Way competition closes Sept 30: get your entries in! (24 September 2008; score: 27.77%)
• Catching up: government responds to OFT and Power of Information reports (5 July 2007; score: 21.41%)
• Why don't local authorities release more data? (24 August 2006; score: 19.78%)
• Show Us A Better Way: the winners are chosen (6 November 2008; score: 17.81%)
• More detail from the OFT report: where next for public data? (14 December 2006; score: 15.57%)