This contribution addresses the economies of Digital Geospatial Data (here: Geodata) and the chances for their economic return on investment. Such points help us to explain and justify expenses for Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics as investigaton tools for questions in society and Environment. Furthermore, the price of geodata will influence chances of any future technologies and determine opportunities for professional careers.

Brought to digital formats Geodata can be distributed like any other digital data. The technical means for are given by web technologies, e.g. data distribution or conversion or the services palette of the OGC. Such services can be realized by institutions as Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) that also comprise organizational aspects. In addition such infrastructures allow us to register and record the quantity as well as other properties of the transported data. Therefore it is possible to calculate a differentiated price and charge payment for it. We can identify two situations when the price of Geodata is important for GIS professionals:

• When we want to offer services that use our own or foreign Geodata data either free or non-free
• When we are responsible for a free-of charge data products and have to justify its costs

Examples show countries/governments that provide free access to any geospatial data that is produced in their responsibility. Others charge a price determined from expenses. In contrast, potential users decide for products by evaluating their usability and estimating their economical benefit. In addition more and more data providers get competitors and even free data is available for certain purposes. Besides providing pure data providers also want to use and uplift the quality of basic Geodata. When several serves of that kind are chained questions arise how the final price can be distributed among the unintended “partners”.