APITOS project – Generate standardized API Terms of Service that are fair and transparent, using the FACT model [inno³ in NYC]
On May 11th 2023, the inno³ team has been invited to participate in the closure event of “Digital Infrastructure Grant” as a grant winner for APIToS project.
The closure event of the “Digital Infrastructure Grant” provided an excellent opportunity to present the study results and officially launch the FACT (Fair API Commitments to Trust) model, along with its wizard. This achievement is the result of the collective efforts of Inno3, Mehdi Medjaoui (from APIDays and the Mainteneurs) and Mark Boyd (Platformable).
You can explore the APIToS project through its website, which has been launched during the event : https://www.apitos.org/
APIToS project in a few words :
- Collaborate with API ecosystem stakeholders through participatory methods such as interviews, surveys, and workshops.
- Create a generic APIToS license to promote interoperability and openness within the API ecosystem.
- Define the five key conditions of the APIToS license: access, specifications, data policy, output policy, and attribution.
- Develop a legal framework with clear and easy-to-understand design.
- Enable usability by implementing a wizard to upload personalized licenses.
Our interactive website already allows you to generate your own API terms of service : https://www.apitos.org/wizard#form-section
Call for comments
- This is a first version of the wizard, your suggestions and comments are welcome to improve this tool. Mail to contact@apitos.org
What benefits does a standardized model offer?
The main knowledge that we are looking for in candidates are:
- For API Provider :
- Facilitate interoperability and interfacing between APIs and ToS (time-saving and efficiency),
- Give confidence to users,
- Rely on a common base, so providers do not use resources reinventing the wheel.
- For API Consumer :
- Greater confidence in the data providers,
- Reduced power imbalances and symmetries (communication, usage constraints, adaptation to changes),
- Eliminating the economic stakes from the ToS to make them more sustainable.
- For API Ecosystem :
- Rebalancing power relationships in open ecosystems,
- Integrating ToS into current dynamics of digital economic regulation (GDPR, data sovereignty).
Extract from the report “The FAIR API Commitments to Trust Model” 2023
