JSON vs. JSON-LD?

(This issue is related to an earlier issue[1])

The current document refers only to JSON-LD as one of the standard serializations. Per [1], this is actually a trivial thing to do, because if the model is mapped on RDF/OWL (which is) then JSON-LD is only a serialization thereof. (A Spec may want, however, to give a particular a "shape" to the JSON-LD version, specify a specific @context with further mappings, etc, so a relevant Recommendation may be warranted.)

However. The document refers to the ODRL JSON[2] encoding document as an input. It has to be noted that this JSON encoding is not a JSON-LD encoding. It defines a fairly straightforward JSON serialization of the model; I have not studied it in details to see whether that encoding could be considered (through a suitable @context) as a JSON-LD compliant version of the model. The text in [2] explicitly (1) refers to JSON Schemas and (2) does say that if you want to use JSON-LD instead, then 'just' serialize RDF.

This begs the questions

1. Is the ODRL community o.k. not to have a 'vanilla' JSON encoding as part of the deliverables as it is defined now? Or
2. Should the deliverables also include a 'vanilla', non JSON-LD encoding as part of the deliverables?

If the decision is #1 above, ie, only a JSON-LD document is produced, then, I guess, [2] should not be listed as an input document.

The correct approach should be, in my view, to leave this question open for the WG to decide. Make the deliverables JSON and add a note that the WG will consider whether that is a JSON-LD compliant encoding or not, and/or whether both JSON versions should be standardized.

Ivan

[1] https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-ole-comment/2015Dec/0002.html <https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-ole-comment/2015Dec/0002.html>
[2] https://www.w3.org/community/odrl/json/2.1/

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Ivan Herman, W3C
Digital Publishing Lead
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ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0782-2704