TL;DR: Simple attribution guidelines
The ODbL requires attribution with use of the ODbL. You can do this:
If using this dataset on the web, including for online marketmaps, ecosystem pages, and so on, you must include the following:
HYPERLINKED TEXT: Powered by The Grid.
LINK: Text above must link to: https://thegrid.id/
Text and link must be set up in a way that is “reasonably calculated to make any Person that uses, views, accesses, interacts with, or is otherwise exposed to the Produced Work aware that Content was obtained from" The Grid.
If distributing a dataset as a download or in a code repo
Include the above web attribution in a README or LICENSE file with the download (as further described below)
If providing ODbL licensed data as a service:
Include the above web attribution alongside the service.
More detail on the how and why are below.
Attribution Guidelines
These are the guidelines for attribution of The Grid's database and its data when using our ODbL licensed data service or ODbL-licensed database snapshots offered for download.
Attribution as a requirement of the ODbL
The Grid's open data service is distributed under the Open Database License (ODbL). If you want to use The Grid's open data in something you create and distribute, you must attribute The Grid.
While we require attribution, how to attribute depends on the type of content, database, or other creation involved, and its presentation.
Attribution is only necessary when a Produced Work is used Publicly (as defined by the ODbL). This guideline does not concern internal uses.
The base requirement in ODbL is attribution that is “…reasonably calculated to make any Person that uses, views, accesses, interacts with, or is otherwise exposed to the Produced Work aware that Content was obtained from [The Grid] …”.
These guidelines supplement and are not a substitute for the actual text of the ODbL. If there is a conflict between this page and the ODbL, the ODbL takes precedence.
About these guidelines
The guidelines may not be the only, best, or absolute minimum attribution necessary. They are guidelines.
These guidelines provide a technically-feasible safe harbour where The Grid acknowledges that they satisfy the ODbL requirements.
The Grid may also propose different attribution based on your usecase, or update and amend these guidelines in the future if it promotes our shared goals of having an open core of ecosystem metadata to meet our vision to "enable the world to migrate to Web3".
You may, of course, provide more prominent attribution.
If you have questions or suggestions on how this page can be improved to cover usecases for The Grid's open data, please tell us.
Why attribution is important
Attribution encourages others to use The Grid's open data by making the source obvious, as well as that it is available as open data.
It also helps The Grid support the continued development and collection of ecosystem metadata, and thus our open data core, and so helps spin the flywheel to improve quality for everyone.
Finally, as active participants in the open data and open source communities, we see it as a moral duty of data reusers to give credit. We're all standing on the shoulders of giants here.
Requirements to fit within The Grid’s safe harbour
Attribution must be presented to anyone who uses, views, accesses, interacts with, or is otherwise exposed to the data or produced work. The attribution format should not require individuals to interact with the specific data point or produced work to see the attribution.
Attribution must be placed in the vicinity of the produced work or in a location where attribution would normally be expected by users.
Attribution must be legible and understandable.
Other attribution, logos, or text must not create any false or misleading impression that The Grid's open data is not from The Grid. Attribution of course may appear at the same time as, or next to, other attributions.
There needs to be a way to access more information, including origin and licence of the data, if that information is not directly in the attribution text (for example by making the text a clickable link).
Attribution text
Attribution must be to “The Grid”.
Attribution must also make it clear that the data is available under the Open Database License. This may be done by making the text “Powered by The Grid” and a link to https://thegrid.id/, which has information about The Grid, as well as the ODbL.
The text must be easily readable and understandable, taking into consideration the font, size, colour, contrast, positioning and amount of time that it is visible. We recommend you follow accessibility guidelines such as WCAG to have the attribution inclusive and accessible to everyone.
The Grid does not want to claim credit for other people's data, so you can qualify the credit to explain what content you are using from The Grid's open data. For example, if you have used The Grid's open data to make your own design (such as for a marketmap or data visualisation), you may wish to use “Ecosystem data from The Grid.” (with a link).
Safe harbour requirements for specific scenarios
This is not a comprehensive list (that's very hard to do!), but we will update based on feedback and the community’s needs and interests.
Databases
You must include attribution to The Grid and either the text of the ODbL or a link to it as part of the database, derivative database, or database as part of a collective database.
You must include the notices in a location (such as a relevant directory) where users would be likely to look for it, such as a readme file, or within the data or metadata.
Interactive marketmaps or ecosystem pages
For a browsable marketmap or ecosystem page (e.g., embedded in a web page or application), the credit should typically appear in a corner.
While the lower right corner is traditional, any corner is acceptable. Alternatively, the attribution may be placed adjacent to the interactive marketmap or ecosystem page, or on a splash screen or pop-up shown when a user starts the app, device, website, etc.
You may use a mechanism to fade/collapse the attribution under certain conditions:
immediately with a dismiss interaction, for example clicking an ‘x’ in the corner of a dialog
automatically on interaction such as panning, clicking, or zooming
automatically after five seconds. This also applies to splash screens or pop-ups.
If the attribution has been collapsed, the user must still be able to find the attribution information if they look for it, for example from an ‘(i)’ button in the corner or an ‘About’ option in a menu.
If a splash screen or other method of attribution cannot link to the licence information, the link must be provided in an easily locatable part of the web page, software, or application (e.g. in the menu under “Data licences”).
If attribution is presented to the user upon application startup, it does not need to be presented to the user every time the user looks at or interacts with the application. (For clarity, when an application returns to the foreground from the background, startup attribution does not need to be presented again.)
Static images
Static images must be generally attributed the same way as interactive. However, if multiple static images appear on the same document, one instance of attribution is sufficient.
Machine learning models
Training datasets that are substantial extractions from The Grid's open data are considered Derivative Databases and need to be made available on ODbL terms if publicly used.
Models that have been trained with such training sets must be attributed in documentation where a person using the model can expect such information, such as a README for the model’s codebase, or on a webpage where the model can be downloaded.
Predictions made using a model trained on The Grid’s open data are not implicated by ODbL. However, note that if a Produced Work is used to extract, copy, or recreate substantial parts of the The Grid's open data, it is considered to be a Derivative Database. Sophisticated machine learning models can be “overtrained” to the extent that they can recreate the training set.
Additional guidance concerning more diverse use cases may be provided in a future version of the guideline.