VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) has transitioned to become an OCLC service. VIAF is a project that virtually combines multiple name authority files into a single name authority service. The transition from an interim, shared-governance arrangement to OCLC has been made to assure that VIAF will be well-positioned to scale efficiently as a long-term, cooperative activity.

OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) will continue to make VIAF openly accessible and will also work to incorporate VIAF into various OCLC services. The transition guarantees that http://viaf.org will continue to have an appropriate infrastructure to respond to rising levels of traffic as VIAF gains momentum and popularity as a resource for library authority work and linked data activities. The institutions contributing to VIAF will continue to help shape VIAF’s direction through participation in a newly-formed VIAF Council which will provide guidance on policies, practices and operation of VIAF.

Thom Hickey reported in his blog, that due the structural changes the data of VIAF will finally be published under a license, what has not been done before. He has announced under reserve, starting during April 2012 the data will be available under the license ODC-By and the dataset description will be published as a VoID (Vocabulary of Interlinked Datasets) document in order for a linked data friendly reuse.