Geospatial Digital Rights Management

Abstract

This Chapter introduces the need for general Digital Rights Management (DRM) requirements. Further, it intertwines DRM with its spatial counterpart, Geospatial DRM (GeoDRM). However, unlike DRM, GeoDRM is far much complicated due to issues such as the development of Web Mapping technology among other issues. The Chapter discusses the ability of GeoDRM to mitigate transgression of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Highlighting economical and environmental wellbeing and other benefits of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) geared towards global sustainable developments, the Chapter focuses on challenges of National Spatial Data Infrastructures (NSDIs) and Regional SDIs and the need to harmonize their standards for the upward mobility of global SDI (GSDI). Emphasizing the undisputed need for Local, Regional and Global Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs), in the presence of various Geo-communities and different GeoDRM models, the Chapter concludes that capacity building need to be urgently but carefully harnessed across all levels in order to develop cohesive GeoDRM policies.