Reproduction, Distribution and Sale of Unenhanced and Enhanced ACRES Data Products

This is a comprehensive document describing the conditions of reproduction, distribution and sales of enhanced and unenhanced ACRES satellite data products.

1. Introduction

Purchasers of ACRES Data are entitled to modify and adapt the Data to produce Enhanced Data products. The reproduction, distribution and sale of Enhanced Data is governed by legal agreements with the satellite operators. In some cases it is restricted, or may require specific notices to be attached, and there are other cases where royalties may be payable.

Under the legal agreements ACRES is responsible for the protection of copyright on behalf of the satellite operators, therefore the final determination of enhancement rests with ACRES. There may be cases that do not clearly fit into the definitions, and therefore, it is important that you seek clarification from ACRES, in your use of satellite data. The following is ACRES interpretation of the individual satellite operators' definitions that will apply to satellite data sold in Australia.

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2. Definitions

The satellite operators define Enhanced Data in different ways, and use different terminology to describe their data and enhanced products. The following three data definitions are to be used as a general guide only, with Appendices A ("blank"), and B (ERS) describing the satellite operators' data definitions.

Data

• Data means data comprised of, or derived from, signals transmitted by any Earth observation satellite, which has been recorded by any ground station, and converted by ACRES or another ground station into unenhanced digital or hardcopy form. It also includes data acquired by ACRES through overseas ground station operators.

Unenhanced Data

• Unenhanced Data means unprocessed or minimally processed data. Minimal processing by ACRES, or a third party, may include rectification of distortions, registration with respect to features on the Earth, and calibration of spectral response. It does not include substantial and irreversible manipulations, or calculations derived from the Data in such a manner as to effect a substantial and irreversible modification thereof. All standard digital and hardcopy products sold by ACRES consist of Unenhanced Data.

Enhanced Data

• Enhanced Data means data that has been processed to modify the information so that it can not be restored to its original form. The modification of the data can either be through the addition of information or through manipulation to significantly change the data. This does not include simple geometric and radiometric corrections.

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3. Reproduction, Distribution and Sale of Unenhanced Data

Unenhanced Data cannot be reproduced, distributed or sold without specific permission from ACRES, and is covered by the Licence Conditions for ERS and JERS data supplied by ACRES.

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4. Reproduction, Distribution and Sale of Enhanced Data

ERS Data

• The reproduction, distribution and sale of all products derived from ERS Data is restricted. Royalties are payable for all products derived from ERS Data (refer Appendix B) and approval must be sought from ACRES in each case. All products must carry the annotation " © ESA (year of reception)" eg. © ESA 1995.

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5. Appendix A

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6. Appendix B

ERS

ERS Data

• European Space Agency (ESA) state that both ERS SAR Primary Data and Analysed Information, as defined below, are unenhanced data. This means that, irrespective of the processing, ERS data containing a pixel structure is never enhanced.

ERS SAR Primary Data

• These are the raw samples as originated on board the ERS satellites by the Synthetic Aperture Radar when operating in its imaging mode, together with all auxiliary data necessary to process these samples, and as transmitted to the Alice Springs and Hobart receiving stations and recorded on a mutually agreed medium.

Analysed Information

• This means information resulting from the interpretation of ERS SAR Processed Data, inputs of data and knowledge from other sources. Both Processed Data and Analysed Information can be represented in digital form or printed on negative or positive film or paper.