RightsStatements.org: describe an object’s reuse status

RightsStatements.org provides standardized statements that institutions use to communicate the copyright and reuse status of digital cultural heritage. It is useful when reading museum and library records or designing a catalogue that needs clearer rights metadata. A consistent statement helps people and software distinguish different situations without guessing from a download button. Read the full statement linked from the object record and preserve that link in your own metadata. Then inspect any additional information supplied by the institution, including restrictions or contact details. Keep the rights statement separate from the creator field, the credit line and the source URL; those fields answer different questions. A rights statement describes a status and should not be casually treated as a Creative Commons license. Nor should an absent statement be converted into permission. If you are creating records for your own collection, use the official guidance and only make assertions that your evidence supports. Record the basis and review date so the description can be revised when better information appears.

Editorial review: 2026-09-23. New evidence may change this account.

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