Source Desk
Part of RN Collins, selected work
Permission to post does not itself settle adaptation, reproduction, distribution, performance, or display rights.
Inspect original source ↗Permission to post does not itself settle adaptation, reproduction, distribution, performance, or display rights.
“Copyright law gives owners a bundle of distinct rights, not one vague right to “the content.””
Open source →Supports distinction between a delivered copy, source files, and copyright ownership.
Inspect original source ↗Supports distinction between a delivered copy, source files, and copyright ownership.
“Owning the file is not necessarily owning its copyright.”
Open source →Section 204 says a transfer of copyright ownership is not valid unless it is in writing and signed by the owner.
Inspect original source ↗Section 204 says a transfer of copyright ownership is not valid unless it is in writing and signed by the owner. Notarization is not required for validity.
“A verbal deal or a handshake cannot move copyright, so ownership changes need a signed document.”
Open source →Section 203 lets authors or their heirs terminate certain grants in a window that opens 35 years after the grant, with advance notice.
Inspect original source ↗Section 203 lets authors or their heirs terminate certain grants in a window that opens 35 years after the grant, with advance notice. Works made for hire are excluded.
“Some grants can be reclaimed decades later, which is separate from any cancellation clause in a campaign contract.”
Open source →The Supreme Court's June 5, 1989 decision on whether a commissioned sculpture was a work made for hire.
Open PDF at source ↗The Supreme Court's June 5, 1989 decision on whether a commissioned sculpture was a work made for hire. The page links the official opinion in PDF, text, and other formats.
“A commissioned creator who is an independent contractor generally keeps copyright unless a signed agreement says otherwise.”
Open source →USPTO explains that name, image, and likeness rights are protected mainly by state law and vary by state.
Inspect original source ↗USPTO explains that name, image, and likeness rights are protected mainly by state law and vary by state. It says there is no federal personality-rights law.
“Whether a brand can use a creator's face or voice depends on the state, so the location matters as much as the contract.”
Open source →The Copyright Office's page for its AI series, which begins with the July 31, 2024 Part 1 report on digital replicas.
Open PDF at source ↗The Copyright Office's page for its AI series, which begins with the July 31, 2024 Part 1 report on digital replicas. That report recommends a federal digital replica law.
“AI voice and face copies of creators are a live ownership question, and the Copyright Office wants federal rules for them.”
Open source →A WIPO guide for independent filmmakers on clearing rights to people, locations, music, and artwork.
Open PDF at source ↗A WIPO guide for independent filmmakers on clearing rights to people, locations, music, and artwork. It shows how to plan clearance from development through distribution.
“Unclear rights found late can stall a release, so a clearance checklist protects independent creators before they publish.”
Open source →FTC guidance for influencers on disclosing brand relationships. It says platform disclosure tools may not be enough alone, and it covers images…
Open PDF at source ↗FTC guidance for influencers on disclosing brand relationships. It says platform disclosure tools may not be enough alone, and it covers images, video, and live streams.
“Creators carry responsibility for their own sponsorship disclosures, whichever tool the platform offers.”
Open source →FTC guidance on native advertising. It says ads should not mislead about their commercial nature and that disclosures must be clear, unambiguous, and…
Inspect original source ↗FTC guidance on native advertising. It says ads should not mislead about their commercial nature and that disclosures must be clear, unambiguous, and placed near the ad.
“Sponsored content that looks like editorial invites deception claims, so placement and wording of the label matter.”
Open source →FTC press release on the final Lord & Taylor order. It describes a paid native article and 50 paid influencers who posted a dress without disclosing…
Inspect original source ↗FTC press release on the final Lord & Taylor order. It describes a paid native article and 50 paid influencers who posted a dress without disclosing the payment.
“A real enforcement case shows that undisclosed payment to creators can lead to a federal order against the brand.”
Open source →DROID is free software from the UK National Archives that identifies file formats and versions in batches and matches them to PRONOM.
Inspect original source ↗DROID is free software from the UK National Archives that identifies file formats and versions in batches and matches them to PRONOM. The current release is 6.8.1.
“Knowing the exact format of each file helps creators plan how to archive and hand over their work.”
Open source →PRONOM is the UK National Archives' online database of file format information, with records on more than 2,000 formats.
Inspect data ↗PRONOM is the UK National Archives' online database of file format information, with records on more than 2,000 formats. It can be searched by name, extension, or identifier.
“A format registry helps creators check what a file really is before promising or accepting deliverables.”
Open source →The Library of Congress lists preferred and acceptable formats for text, images, video, audio, datasets, and other work.
Open PDF at source ↗The Library of Congress lists preferred and acceptable formats for text, images, video, audio, datasets, and other work. It says files should carry no DRM or encryption.
“Choosing preferred formats gives creators a public benchmark for files meant to last.”
Open source →The Library of Congress format record says QuickTime is a container that wraps video, audio, and other bitstreams.
Inspect original source ↗The Library of Congress format record says QuickTime is a container that wraps video, audio, and other bitstreams. Files can hold several tracks, including timecode and captions.
“One video file can hold many streams, so delivering a .mov does not mean delivering the whole project.”
Open source →11.904 million independent contractors in sole or main job, 7.4% of employment; not synonymous with creators.
Open PDF at source ↗11.904 million independent contractors in sole or main job, 7.4% of employment; not synonymous with creators.
“In July 2023, 11.9 million people were independent contractors in their primary job.”
Open source →BLS Table A lists U.S. employed people by work arrangement for July 2023, in thousands.
Inspect data ↗BLS Table A lists U.S. employed people by work arrangement for July 2023, in thousands. It covers independent contractors, on-call, temp agency, and contract firm workers.
“The table gives a citable count of independent contractors alongside other alternative work arrangements.”
Open source →BLS Table 9 shows preference for arrangement in July 2023. About 80.3% of independent contractors preferred their arrangement.
Inspect data ↗BLS Table 9 shows preference for arrangement in July 2023. About 80.3% of independent contractors preferred their arrangement. It covers sole or main jobs and excludes contract firm workers.
“Most surveyed independent contractors chose that arrangement, which balances stories that treat it as a last resort.”
Open source →BLS Table 10 reports health insurance by work arrangement in July 2023. Its employer-provided measure leaves out self-employed people and independent…
Inspect data ↗BLS Table 10 reports health insurance by work arrangement in July 2023. Its employer-provided measure leaves out self-employed people and independent contractors.
“Independent contractors do not appear in the employer coverage figures, so those numbers say little about their own…”
Open source →A Census Bureau story on nonemployer businesses: 29.8 million in 2022, with $1.7 trillion in receipts or about 6.8% of the economy.
Inspect data ↗A Census Bureau story on nonemployer businesses: 29.8 million in 2022, with $1.7 trillion in receipts or about 6.8% of the economy. It breaks the counts down by state and sector.
“Self-employed operators with no payroll make up a very large share of U.S. businesses.”
Open source →The Census API for Nonemployer Statistics returns establishment counts and receipts by industry and geography for 1997 through 2023.
Inspect data ↗The Census API for Nonemployer Statistics returns establishment counts and receipts by industry and geography for 1997 through 2023. It requires a free API key.
“Researchers can pull solo-business counts by place and industry directly, and the 2022 changes limit comparisons with…”
Open source →Census posts Nonemployer Statistics as CSV files for 1997 through 2023, with record layouts for each year.
Inspect data ↗Census posts Nonemployer Statistics as CSV files for 1997 through 2023, with record layouts for each year. National, state, county, and metro files are available.
“Downloadable files let researchers work with the full solo-business data offline.”
Open source →Census Data Explorer is the Bureau's online tool for searching and exploring its tables.
Inspect data ↗Census Data Explorer is the Bureau's online tool for searching and exploring its tables. A live table can be reopened and updated, unlike a static screenshot.
“A statistic is more useful when the reader can reopen the table behind it.”
Open source →The methodology page defines nonemployer businesses as those with no paid employees that file IRS returns.
Inspect data ↗The methodology page defines nonemployer businesses as those with no paid employees that file IRS returns. Census says not to treat multiple years as a time series because methods change.
“Knowing how solo businesses are counted keeps any charts built from this data accurate.”
Open source →A general directory of third-party tools, archives and platforms from the research. It is separate from the sources the editions rely on and from this site’s own interactive tools.
Freelancers Union's beta tool builds a Freelance Work Agreement covering scope, payment, and optional clauses, with local compliance sections.
Inspect original source ↗Freelancers Union's beta tool builds a Freelance Work Agreement covering scope, payment, and optional clauses, with local compliance sections. Output is a Word or PDF file; general information, not legal advice.
“Gives freelancers a starting contract that spells out scope and payment before work begins.”
Open source →Meta's searchable public library of ads running across its apps; political and issue ads also show funder, spend range, and reach.
Inspect data ↗Meta's searchable public library of ads running across its apps; political and issue ads also show funder, spend range, and reach. Note the date you viewed an ad, since the library changes constantly.
“Shows what ads are running and, for political ads, who paid, which helps you study sponsored content.”
Open source →LinkedIn's public library of ads shown since June 1, 2023, searchable by advertiser, keyword, country, or date, with format and payer details.
Inspect data ↗LinkedIn's public library of ads shown since June 1, 2023, searchable by advertiser, keyword, country, or date, with format and payer details. Ads stay listed for a year after their last impression.
“Reveals who paid for B2B ads and how they are framed, useful for studying sponsored creator content.”
Open source →Google's Ads Transparency Center lets you search an advertiser and see the ads it ran on Google Search, YouTube, and other Google platforms, filtered…
Inspect data ↗Google's Ads Transparency Center lets you search an advertiser and see the ads it ran on Google Search, YouTube, and other Google platforms, filtered by date and location.
“Shows what advertisers ran and whether they are verified, which helps you research who is behind sponsored content.”
Open source →TikTok Creative Center's Top Ads dashboard shows high-performing auction ads, filterable by region, objective, language, format, and likes.
Inspect data ↗TikTok Creative Center's Top Ads dashboard shows high-performing auction ads, filterable by region, objective, language, format, and likes. Results vary by region, so note your filters when you cite one.
“A window into which ad styles perform on TikTok, useful for creators studying or pitching brand partnerships.”
Open source →Openverse offers search and an API for openly licensed and public domain media from many sources.
Inspect data ↗Openverse offers search and an API for openly licensed and public domain media from many sources. Works stay at the original sources, so verify each license there before reuse.
“Speeds up finding reusable images and audio while keeping the license check in your hands.”
Open source →The Library of Congress's Free to Use and Reuse portal has more than 100 curated sets of 25 to 50 historical photographs, posters, maps, and movies.
Inspect data ↗The Library of Congress's Free to Use and Reuse portal has more than 100 curated sets of 25 to 50 historical photographs, posters, maps, and movies. Check each set's rights statement and item credits.
“A ready-made source of historic imagery for creators who need visuals with clear starting rights information.”
Open source →Europeana's Search, Record, and IIIF APIs, plus SPARQL and OAI-PMH, open millions of European heritage items to developers.
Inspect data ↗Europeana's Search, Record, and IIIF APIs, plus SPARQL and OAI-PMH, open millions of European heritage items to developers. A free account gives you an API key; keep each item's rights URI.
“Lets you build on European heritage collections while keeping each item's rights information attached.”
Open source →Creative Commons' License Chooser walks you through attribution, commercial use, remix, and share-alike choices, then outputs license code for web…
Inspect original source ↗Creative Commons' License Chooser walks you through attribution, commercial use, remix, and share-alike choices, then outputs license code for web, HTML, or plain text. It stores nothing about your choices.
“Helps you pick a license that matches how you want your own work reused.”
Open source →Creative Commons' Search Portal is a directory of search links to openly licensed media on sources such as Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and Openverse.
Inspect original source ↗Creative Commons' Search Portal is a directory of search links to openly licensed media on sources such as Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and Openverse. Verify each license at the source.
“A starting point for finding licensed work across platforms before you check the terms at each source.”
Open source →Twelve standardized rights statements that cultural heritage institutions attach to digital items, readable by people and machines.
Inspect original source ↗Twelve standardized rights statements that cultural heritage institutions attach to digital items, readable by people and machines. Statements describe status and do not themselves grant rights.
“Reading the rights statement on a cultural heritage item shows what reuse the holder claims before you build on it.”
Open source →The Conformance Explorer lets you browse the C2PA Conforming Products List, the official Trust List and the Time Stamping Authority Trust List.
Inspect data ↗The Conformance Explorer lets you browse the C2PA Conforming Products List, the official Trust List and the Time Stamping Authority Trust List. Check the live lists before relying on a product.
“Lets you check whether a content-credential product or signer meets C2PA standards before you trust its provenance claims.”
Open source →Drag a file into the verifier to see its Content Credentials, such as author, tools used and edit history, when they exist.
Inspect original source ↗Drag a file into the verifier to see its Content Credentials, such as author, tools used and edit history, when they exist. Avoid uploading confidential files without checking the privacy terms first.
“Can this image show where it came from and what changed?”
Open source →An open-source command-line tool for reading C2PA manifests as JSON reports and adding manifests to supported audio, image and video files.
Inspect original source ↗An open-source command-line tool for reading C2PA manifests as JSON reports and adding manifests to supported audio, image and video files. It is dual-licensed under Apache-2.0 and MIT.
“Lets you inspect and add provenance data on your own media files from the command line.”
Open source →An open-source Chrome extension that checks images, video and audio for C2PA Content Credentials and shows their history and signer.
Inspect original source ↗An open-source Chrome extension that checks images, video and audio for C2PA Content Credentials and shows their history and signer. The project calls itself beta, so review its permissions before installing.
“Puts provenance checks in your browser, so you can see where media came from as you research.”
Open source →Save Page Now captures a single web page in the Wayback Machine so you have a dated copy to cite later.
Inspect original source ↗Save Page Now captures a single web page in the Wayback Machine so you have a dated copy to cite later. Some pages will not save, and playback can be delayed.
“A dated archive copy can outlast a page that changes or disappears, which helps when you cite or document someone else's…”
Open source →Perma.cc, from Harvard's Library Innovation Lab, creates permanent archived links to web pages cited in scholarship and legal work.
Inspect original source ↗Perma.cc, from Harvard's Library Innovation Lab, creates permanent archived links to web pages cited in scholarship and legal work. A Perma Link preserves what the page showed when it was captured.
“A stable citation keeps your sources checkable after the original page changes, though archiving does not grant…”
Open source →Zotero's Web API v3 gives code access to a Zotero library, including items, file uploads, full-text content and sync, with client libraries in…
Inspect data ↗Zotero's Web API v3 gives code access to a Zotero library, including items, file uploads, full-text content and sync, with client libraries in several languages. Check the current terms before building on it.
“Lets you read and manage your research library with code, keeping your citations portable.”
Open source →The Crossref REST API returns scholarly metadata in JSON for DOI-registered works, including license, funder and ORCID details.
Inspect data ↗The Crossref REST API returns scholarly metadata in JSON for DOI-registered works, including license, funder and ORCID details. Most metadata is unrestricted, but some abstracts may be copyrighted.
“Lets you check a work's publisher, funder and any license details from its DOI metadata before you cite or reuse it.”
Open source →The Unpaywall API takes a DOI and returns the best open-access location it knows for that article, with its host and other metadata.
Inspect data ↗The Unpaywall API takes a DOI and returns the best open-access location it knows for that article, with its host and other metadata. Requests need an email parameter, so check the current terms.
“Helps you find a free, legal copy of a paper and see where it is hosted before you link to or share it.”
Open source →DataCite Commons searches DOIs for research works, plus people by ORCID iD, organizations by ROR ID and repositories.
Inspect data ↗DataCite Commons searches DOIs for research works, plus people by ORCID iD, organizations by ROR ID and repositories. It covers all DataCite DOIs and a subset of Crossref DOIs.
“Lets you trace who made a research work and where it lives, so you can credit and reuse it correctly.”
Open source →Observable offers notebooks, which are live documents that combine text, code and charts, and Canvases for collaborative data exploration.
Inspect data ↗Observable offers notebooks, which are live documents that combine text, code and charts, and Canvases for collaborative data exploration. Check each notebook's author and license before reusing it.
“Interactive work built by others carries its own author credit and terms, so check them before you reuse or republish it.”
Open source →Flourish, a Canva brand, is a web platform for building interactive charts, maps and multi-step Stories without code, with a free tier.
Open interactive source ↗Flourish, a Canva brand, is a web platform for building interactive charts, maps and multi-step Stories without code, with a free tier. Check the plan terms for what you can publish and export.
“Charts built on a platform depend on its plan terms, so know what you can embed and keep before you publish.”
Open source →Datawrapper is a web app for creating and publishing charts, maps and tables, and you can try it without an account.
Inspect data ↗Datawrapper is a web app for creating and publishing charts, maps and tables, and you can try it without an account. Output can go to the web, PowerPoint or print, so check the current terms.
“A chart is a published claim about your data, so pairing it with the source data and a static version helps readers check it.”
Open source →