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Rights Management

User Guide

Manage copyright, licensing, embargoes, and access restrictions for your archive collections.


Overview

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    RIGHTS MANAGEMENT                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  COPYRIGHT         LICENSES          EMBARGOES               |
|      |                |                  |                   |
|      v                v                  v                   |
|  Legal Status    Creative Commons   Time-Based               |
|  Rights Holder   Rights Statements  Restrictions             |
|  Jurisdiction    Custom Licenses    Auto-Release             |
|                                                              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  TK LABELS         ORPHAN WORKS      TERRITORY               |
|      |                  |                |                   |
|      v                  v                v                   |
|  Indigenous        Due Diligence     Geographic              |
|  Knowledge         Documentation     Restrictions            |
|  Protocols         Search Steps      GDPR Compliance         |
|                                                              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Key Features

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    WHAT YOU CAN DO                           |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  + PREMIS Rights Basis (Copyright, License, Statute, Donor)  |
|  + RightsStatements.org - 12 standardized statements         |
|  + Creative Commons - All CC license variants                |
|  + Traditional Knowledge Labels - Local Contexts TK/BC       |
|  + Embargo Management - Time-based access restrictions       |
|  + Orphan Works - Due diligence tracking                     |
|  + Territory Restrictions - GDPR/geographic controls         |
|  + Access Derivatives - Watermarking controls                |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

How to Access

  Main Menu
      |
      v
   Admin
      |
      v
   AHG Settings
      |
      v
   Rights Management --------------------+
      |                                   |
      +---> Dashboard    (overview)       |
      |                                   |
      +---> Embargoes    (restrictions)   |
      |                                   |
      +---> Orphan Works (due diligence)  |
      |                                   |
      +---> TK Labels    (indigenous)     |
      |                                   |
      +---> Statements   (standards)      |

Dashboard

The Rights Management dashboard shows:

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    DASHBOARD OVERVIEW                        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  +----------------+  +----------------+  +----------------+  |
|  | Total Rights   |  | Active         |  | Expiring       |  |
|  | Records        |  | Embargoes      |  | Soon (30 days) |  |
|  |     156        |  |      23        |  |       5        |  |
|  +----------------+  +----------------+  +----------------+  |
|                                                              |
|  Expiring Embargoes Alert:                                   |
|  +-------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | Object              | Expires      | Action           |  |
|  |---------------------|--------------|------------------|  |
|  | Board Minutes 1990  | 15 Feb 2026  | [Review]         |  |
|  | Personnel Files     | 28 Feb 2026  | [Review]         |  |
|  +-------------------------------------------------------+  |
|                                                              |
|  Rights by Basis (Chart):                                    |
|  [Copyright: 45%] [License: 30%] [Statute: 15%] [Other: 10%] |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Adding Rights to a Record

Step 1: Navigate to the Record

Go to the archival description you want to add rights to.

Step 2: Access Rights Panel

Click Rights in the sidebar or action buttons.

Step 3: Add New Rights Record

Click Add to create a new rights record.

Step 4: Select Rights Basis

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    RIGHTS BASIS OPTIONS                      |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  [x] Copyright    - Legal copyright protection               |
|  [ ] License      - Licensed content (CC, custom)            |
|  [ ] Statute      - Statutory/legal requirements             |
|  [ ] Donor        - Donor agreement restrictions             |
|  [ ] Policy       - Institutional policy                     |
|  [ ] Other        - Other basis                              |
|                                                              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Step 5: Complete the Form

Based on your selection:

For Copyright: - Copyright status (In Copyright, Public Domain, Unknown) - Copyright holder name - Jurisdiction (e.g., ZA for South Africa) - Determination date

For License: - Creative Commons license selection - Or custom license identifier - License terms

For Statute: - Statute citation - Jurisdiction - Determination date


Rights Statements

RightsStatements.org provides 12 standardized statements:

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  InC       | In Copyright                                    |
|  InC-OW-EU | In Copyright - EU Orphan Work                   |
|  InC-EDU   | In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted        |
|  InC-NC    | In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted     |
|  InC-RUU   | In Copyright - Rights-holder Unlocatable        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  NoC-CR    | No Copyright - Contractual Restrictions         |
|  NoC-NC    | No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only          |
|  NoC-OKLR  | No Copyright - Other Known Legal Restrictions   |
|  NoC-US    | No Copyright - United States                    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Other

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  CNE       | Copyright Not Evaluated                         |
|  UND       | Copyright Undetermined                          |
|  NKC       | No Known Copyright                              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Creative Commons Licenses

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    CC LICENSE OPTIONS                        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  CC0-1.0        | Public Domain - No rights reserved         |
|  CC-BY-4.0      | Attribution - Credit required              |
|  CC-BY-SA-4.0   | Attribution-ShareAlike                     |
|  CC-BY-NC-4.0   | Attribution-NonCommercial                  |
|  CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0| Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike       |
|  CC-BY-ND-4.0   | Attribution-NoDerivatives                  |
|  CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0| Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives    |
|  PDM-1.0        | Public Domain Mark                         |
|                                                              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

License Attributes

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  License     | Commercial | Derivatives | Share Alike       |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  CC0         |    Yes     |    Yes      |     No            |
|  CC-BY       |    Yes     |    Yes      |     No            |
|  CC-BY-SA    |    Yes     |    Yes      |     Yes           |
|  CC-BY-NC    |    No      |    Yes      |     No            |
|  CC-BY-NC-SA |    No      |    Yes      |     Yes           |
|  CC-BY-ND    |    Yes     |    No       |     No            |
|  CC-BY-NC-ND |    No      |    No       |     No            |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Managing Embargoes

What is an Embargo?

An embargo restricts access to a record for a specified period.

Embargo Types

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Type           | Description                                |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Full           | No access to metadata or digital objects   |
|  Metadata Only  | Metadata visible, no digital objects       |
|  Digital Only   | No digital objects, metadata visible       |
|  Partial        | Custom restrictions                        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Creating an Embargo

Step 1: Go to Admin > AHG Settings > Rights Management > Embargoes

Step 2: Click Create New Embargo

Step 3: Complete the form:

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    NEW EMBARGO                               |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  Object ID:        [                    ]                    |
|                                                              |
|  Embargo Type:     [Full Embargo        v]                   |
|                                                              |
|  Reason:           [Donor Restriction   v]                   |
|                    - Donor Restriction                       |
|                    - Copyright                               |
|                    - Privacy                                 |
|                    - Legal Hold                              |
|                    - Commercial Sensitivity                  |
|                    - Research Embargo                        |
|                    - Cultural Sensitivity                    |
|                    - Security Classification                 |
|                                                              |
|  Start Date:       [2026-01-30        ]                      |
|  End Date:         [2030-12-31        ]                      |
|                                                              |
|  [x] Auto-release when end date is reached                   |
|                                                              |
|  Review Date:      [2028-01-30        ]                      |
|                                                              |
|  Notify Before:    [30] days                                 |
|                                                              |
|  Notification Emails: [archivist@example.com             ]   |
|                                                              |
|  Reason Note:      [Donor requested restriction until 2030]  |
|                                                              |
|                            [Save Embargo]                    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Managing Existing Embargoes

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Actions Available:                                          |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  [Lift Embargo]   - Remove restriction immediately           |
|  [Extend]         - Change end date to later date            |
|  [Review]         - Mark as reviewed, set next review date   |
|  [Edit]           - Modify embargo settings                  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Auto-Release

When enabled, embargoes automatically lift when the end date passes:

  1. System checks daily for expired embargoes
  2. Embargoes with auto-release enabled are lifted
  3. Status changes to "Expired"
  4. Action logged for audit trail

Traditional Knowledge Labels

What are TK Labels?

TK Labels are part of the Local Contexts initiative supporting Indigenous communities.

Categories

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  TK Labels (Traditional Knowledge):                          |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  TK-A    | TK Attribution       | Attribution required       |
|  TK-NC   | TK Non-Commercial    | Non-commercial use only    |
|  TK-C    | TK Community Voice   | Community consent needed   |
|  TK-CV   | TK Culturally Sens.  | Handle with sensitivity    |
|  TK-SS   | TK Secret/Sacred     | Restricted access          |
|  TK-MC   | TK Multiple Comm.    | Multiple community interest|
|  TK-MR   | TK Men Restricted    | Gender-specific access     |
|  TK-WR   | TK Women Restricted  | Gender-specific access     |
|  TK-SR   | TK Seasonal          | Time-restricted access     |
|  TK-F    | TK Family            | Family-specific content    |
|  TK-O    | TK Outreach          | Educational use permitted  |
|  TK-V    | TK Verified          | Protocols verified         |
|  TK-NV   | TK Non-Verified      | Protocols not yet verified |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  BC Labels (Biocultural):                                    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  BC-R    | BC Research Use      | Research purposes only     |
|  BC-CB   | BC Consent Before    | Prior consent obtained     |
|  BC-P    | BC Provenance        | Provenance documented      |
|  BC-MC   | BC Multiple Comm.    | Multiple communities       |
|  BC-CL   | BC Clan              | Clan-specific content      |
|  BC-O    | BC Outreach          | Educational outreach       |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Assigning TK Labels

Step 1: Go to Rights Management > TK Labels

Step 2: Click Assign Label

Step 3: Complete the form: - Select the record (Object ID) - Choose the appropriate TK Label - Add community name - Add community contact information - Add any custom text from the community


Orphan Works

What is an Orphan Work?

A work whose rights holder cannot be identified or located after diligent search.

Due Diligence Process

Step 1: Create Orphan Work Record

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Work Type:     [Photograph        v]                        |
|                 - Literary Work                              |
|                 - Dramatic Work                              |
|                 - Musical Work                               |
|                 - Artistic Work                              |
|                 - Film                                       |
|                 - Sound Recording                            |
|                 - Photograph                                 |
|                 - Database                                   |
|                                                              |
|  Jurisdiction:  [ZA - South Africa v]                        |
|  Intended Use:  [Digitization and online access          ]   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Step 2: Document Search Steps

For each source searched:

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    ADD SEARCH STEP                           |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Source Type:     [Copyright Registry  v]                    |
|                   - Database/Registry                        |
|                   - Copyright Registry                       |
|                   - Publisher                                |
|                   - Author/Rights Society                    |
|                   - Archive/Library                          |
|                   - Internet Search                          |
|                   - Newspaper/Publication                    |
|                                                              |
|  Source Name:     [SAMRO                                 ]   |
|  Source URL:      [https://www.samro.org.za              ]   |
|  Search Date:     [2026-01-30                            ]   |
|  Search Terms:    [photographer name, date, location     ]   |
|                                                              |
|  Results Found:   [ ] Yes  [x] No                            |
|  Results Note:    [No matching records found             ]   |
|                                                              |
|                            [Add Step]                        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Step 3: Complete Search

When sufficient searches completed: - Mark search as complete - Indicate if rights holder was found - Document any proposed licensing fee


Rights Grants (PREMIS Acts)

Define what actions are permitted or restricted:

Available Acts

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Act          | Description                                  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Render       | Display/view the content                     |
|  Disseminate  | Distribute copies                            |
|  Replicate    | Make copies                                  |
|  Migrate      | Transform to other formats                   |
|  Modify       | Edit or alter                                |
|  Delete       | Remove from system                           |
|  Print        | Physical printing                            |
|  Publish      | Make publicly available                      |
|  Use          | General use                                  |
|  Excerpt      | Use portions                                 |
|  Annotate     | Add notes/comments                           |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Restriction Types

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Restriction   | Color     | Meaning                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Allow         | Green     | Permitted                       |
|  Disallow      | Red       | Not permitted                   |
|  Conditional   | Yellow    | Requires additional conditions  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Viewing Rights on Records

Rights information displays in the sidebar:

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|  RIGHTS & RESTRICTIONS                                       |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  [!] Access Restricted                                       |
|  - Under embargo until 31 Dec 2030                           |
|                                                              |
|  Traditional Knowledge:                                      |
|  [TK-A] [TK-CV]                                             |
|                                                              |
|  Rights Records:                                             |
|  +-------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | Basis     | Statement           | Acts    | Period    |  |
|  |-----------|---------------------|---------|-----------|  |
|  | Copyright | InC                 | Render  | 1990-Open |  |
|  | License   | CC-BY-NC-4.0        | Use     | 2020-     |  |
|  +-------------------------------------------------------+  |
|                                                              |
|                                          [Add Rights]        |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+


Reports

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    AVAILABLE REPORTS                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                              |
|  Embargo Report:                                             |
|  - All active embargoes                                      |
|  - Expiring soon                                             |
|  - By reason type                                            |
|  - Export to CSV                                             |
|                                                              |
|  TK Label Report:                                            |
|  - All TK label assignments                                  |
|  - By community                                              |
|  - Verification status                                       |
|  - Export to CSV                                             |
|                                                              |
|  Rights Summary:                                             |
|  - By basis type                                             |
|  - By rights statement                                       |
|  - By CC license                                             |
|                                                              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Best Practices

+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+
|  DO                            |  DON'T                         |
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+
|  Document rights thoroughly    |  Assume copyright status       |
|  Set review dates for embargoes|  Let embargoes expire unnoticed|
|  Consult communities for TK    |  Apply TK labels without input |
|  Document orphan work searches |  Skip due diligence steps      |
|  Use standardized statements   |  Create inconsistent metadata  |
|  Review rights periodically    |  Set and forget                |
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+

Compliance

The plugin supports compliance with:

Standard Implementation
PAIA (SA) Public access request integration
POPIA (SA) Privacy-aware access controls
GDPR (EU) Territory restrictions, consent tracking
Copyright Act Jurisdiction-specific rights
PREMIS Rights basis and acts vocabulary

Quick Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • None (web-based interface)

URLs

  • Dashboard: /rightsAdmin
  • Embargoes: /rightsAdmin/embargoes
  • TK Labels: /rightsAdmin/tkLabels
  • Statements: /rightsAdmin/statements

Permissions Required

  • View rights: Read access to record
  • Edit rights: Editor or Administrator role
  • Manage embargoes: Administrator only
  • Assign TK Labels: Editor or Administrator

Need Help?

Contact your system administrator for: - Complex rights determinations - Bulk rights updates - Custom territory restrictions - Integration questions


Part of the AtoM AHG Framework