Open Data

Open Data licence

The City of Toronto encourages free use of the datasets presented at toronto.ca/open with only a few conditions. The information on this page outlines your obligations under the Open Data license for City of Toronto Datasets.

Open Data Licence for City of Toronto version 2.0

You are encouraged to Use and re-Use City of Toronto Datasets available under this Licence, freely and flexibly, with only a few conditions.

Using City of Toronto Datasets under our Licence

Use of the Datasets made available under this Licence indicates Your acceptance of the terms and conditions below.

The City of Toronto grants You a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive licence to Use the Datasets subject to the conditions below.

This Licence does not affect Your right to Use the Datasets under fair dealing or any other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations.

You are free to:

  • copy, publish, distribute and transmit the Datasets;
  • adapt the Datasets;
  • exploit the Datasets commercially, for example, by combining it with other Datasets, or by including it in Your own products or applications.

You must, where You do any of the above:

  • acknowledge the source of the Datasets by including the following attribution statement specified by the City of Toronto and, where possible, provide a link to this Licence:
    "Contains public sector Datasets made available under the City of Toronto's Open Data Licence v2.0."
  • ensure that You do not Use these Datasets in a way that suggests any official status of the City of Toronto or that the City of Toronto endorses You or Your Use of the Datasets
  • ensure that You do not misrepresent the Datasets or their source;
  • ensure that Your Use of the Datasets does not breach or infringe any applicable laws.

These are important conditions that must be met under this Licence and if You fail to comply with them, the rights granted to You under this Licence will end automatically.

Exceptions

This Licence does not cover the Use of:

  • Personal Information in the Datasets;
  • City of Toronto logos except where they form an integral part of a Dataset;
  • third party rights the City is not authorized to Licence;
  • Datasets subject to intellectual property rights other than copyright, including patents, trademarks, and design rights.

No warranty

Datasets are presented ‘as is’ and the City excludes all representations, warranties, obligations and liabilities in relation to the Datasets to the maximum extent permitted by law.

The City is not liable for any errors or omissions in the Datasets and will not, under any circumstances be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or other loss, injury or damage caused by their Use, even if specifically advised of the possibility of such loss, injury or damage.

The City does not guarantee the continued supply of the Datasets.

Governing Law

This Licence is governed by the laws applicable in the Province of Ontario.

Definitions

In this licence, the terms below have the following meanings:

'Dataset'

means a collection of raw, non-manipulated data usually presented in tabular form with associated metadata, and is machine readable.

Examples:

What is a raw Dataset: a structured file format (including geospatial formats) that can be read by a machine, such as spreadsheets, comma delimited, Extensible Markup Language (XML), or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

What is not a raw Dataset: a report, a flyer, a web application, a PDF document. anything that cannot be exported or Used by a machine.

'Machine Readable Data'

means data that, in order to be understood, must be translated by a computer or other type of equipment. Portable document format (PDF) is not machine readable.

'Personal Information' as defined in the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90m56_e.htm)

‘Use’

means doing any act which is restricted by copyright, whether in the original medium or in any other medium, and includes, without limitation distributing, copying, adapting or modifying Dataset as may be technically necessary to Use it in a different mode or format.

‘You’

means the natural or legal person, or body of persons corporate or incorporate, acquiring rights under this licence.

About the Open Data Licence

The City of Toronto wishes to Use this Licence as a tool to enable the Use and re-Use of Datasets. This Licence is based on the UK Government's Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information and the BC Government's Open Government Licence for Government of BC Information and has been adapted for the City of Toronto.

This is version 2.0 of the Open Data Licence for City of Toronto. The City may, from time to time, issue new versions of the Open Data Licence for City of Toronto Datasets. However, You may continue to Use Datasets previously licenced under this version should You wish to do so.

Notices of new versions of the Open Data Licence for City of Toronto Datasets will be posted at the toronto.ca/open website.

Posted: December 2011.

Contact Us

Open Data Team

More

We need your help

What matters to you? Send us an email.

We're working with others :)

G4: Toronto has partnered with Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver to improve Open Data standards and practices.

PSOD: The Province of Ontario and Toronto are working with other Open Data municipalities in a group called the Public Sector Open Data to develop common processes and formats.

Open data licence

Use of the Datasets made available under this Licence indicates acceptance of the terms and conditions.

Glossary & FAQ

Have a look through the Open Data glossary

We also have answers to a series of frequently asked questions.