I found an explicit non-commercial statement:
http://www.oclc.org/developer/services/viaf


On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 3:38 AM, Karen Coyle <[email protected]> wrote:
> Tom,  (or others)
>
> All I can find on the VIAF site regarding API access is the content
> negotiation for requested URLs. Does anyone have experience with sending
> a string query to VIAF and getting results?

The API is documented here:
http://www.oclc.org/developer/documentation/virtual-international-authority-file-viaf/request-types

It's straightforward to work with.

> I ask this because when we
> made a request for the FAST file from OCLC (which is now available) a
> first reply was that the online service should serve most needs. I'm
> wondering what the case is for a dump vs. using VIAF online.

There are two reasons to ask for a dump that you can use on
OpenLibrary under CC0:

1. It forces them to clarify the license terms if you specify you want
it under CC0
2. API providers generally prefer that you don't use the API for bulk access.

Tom

>
> And as to FAST, there should be a high level of linking from the FAST
> subject file to OL subjects.
> http://www.oclc.org/developer/services/fast-linked-data-api
>
> kc
>
>
> On 3/29/12 5:56 PM, Tom Morris wrote:
>> I figured I'd pull this out into it's own thread.  Although I assume
>> that VIAF is non-commercial licensed because it's hosted on a site
>> carrying the OCLC Research license with it's non-commercial
>> stipulation, the OCLC has been maddeningly opaque about what the
>> actual license is.  They've made the assertion in various informal
>> settings that it's freely available, but then always add caveats.
>>
>> In 2010, they said licensing would be clarified in the "next few months."
>> https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/nyt_linked_open_data/RuoAJ249Wi4
>>
>> A year ago, they said there were "no restrictions on use" but then
>> added that prior approval was needed to get access to dumps.  They
>> also mentioned potentially moving to Open Data Commons ODC-By or
>> ODC-ODbL.
>> http://outgoing.typepad.com/outgoing/2011/03/use-of-viaf.html
>>
>> In neither case have they actually changed the licensing on the site
>> and they haven't publicly responded to queries about why the dumps
>> can't be made available for download if the data really is freely
>> available.
>>
>> Perhaps OpenLibrary should make a formal request for access to the
>> dumps to use under a CC0 or ODBL license?
>>
>> Tom
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>
> --
> Karen Coyle
> [email protected] http://kcoyle.net
> ph: 1-510-540-7596
> m: 1-510-435-8234
> skype: kcoylenet
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