ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on select aspects of intellectual property rights (IPR) encountered in commercial space projects and remote sensing data in particular, and discusses how these are managed in practice. Article 21 of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) establishing the International Space Station (ISS) provides for the jurisdiction of each partner state over its module. An overview of the types of products and services under development for satellite navigation systems can be accessed under the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICGNSS). As indicated, however, there is as yet no general consensus on how to construct the ultimate business model for commercial products, without some form of public funding. Private entities distributing remote sensing data generally have greater freedom than the public hand or agencies to adopt licensing schemes that best suit their interests. Geographic Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) proposes the complete freedom and openness of data in its Data Sharing Principles.
