When archiving files with DaSCH, three pieces of legal metadata describe a file:

  1. Authorship denotes the original creator(s) of the file (photographer, author, artist, composer, etc.).
  2. Copyright Holder denotes who owns the rights (the individual or entity that legally controls how the file can be used).
    This may or may not differ from the creator.
  3. License defines the specific terms under which the file is made available.
    This determines what others are allowed to do with the file (view, share, modify, commercial use, etc.).
    The license must be authorized by the copyright holder and determines citation requirements and usage restrictions.

Determining copyright protection status:
Before completing legal metadata fields, researchers must determine whether the file is protected by copyright.
This fundamental assessment determines which of the following metadata guidelines are applicable.
Which of the three apply depends on the answer: a file protected by copyright needs all three, a file that is not protected has no copyright holder.
A helpful resource is CCdigitallaw's guideline
WHAT... is a protected work?.

Files protected by copyright require all three elements of legal metadata:

  1. Authorship:
    Only a human being can be an author.
    Multiple creators can be listed.
    Use "Author Unknown" if the creator cannot be identified, and name a source if you can.
  2. Copyright Holder:
    In humanities research, copyright is often held by the research project or institution.
    Common examples include research projects, universities, museums, libraries, archives, or the original creators.
  3. License:
    For copyright-protected files, the following options exist depending on creator intentions:
    • Creator grants rights to reuse.
    • Creator waives all rights.
    • Creator intent is unknown.

Creator Grants Rights to Reuse

When creators grant others the right to reuse their work, the following licenses are available in DSP:

Additional licenses can be made available in DSP if needed.

Creator Waives All Rights

When creators dedicate their work to the public domain, DaSCH recommends this statement:
CC0 Universal Deed.

When you have checked and the rights status could not be established, use this statement:
Unknown License - Ask Copyright Holder for Permission.

Files not protected by copyright follow these guidelines, depending on which statement applies:

Use this statement both when copyright has expired and when the work was never eligible for copyright in the first place.

AI-Generated Files (No Human Author)

  • In the License field, choose:
  • Copyright holder: not applicable
  • Authorship: not applicable for output generated entirely by AI.
    Label the file as AI-generated: it is a matter of research ethics, and it keeps AI-generated material distinguishable in the future.
  • If a person used AI as a tool and the result carries their own creative choices, the file may still be protected.
    Treat it as a copyright-protected file instead.