Metadata Binding

Options for Binding Rightsholders' Preferences

When it comes to managing rightsholders' preferences for TDM in a machine-readable way, in principle, three different attachment mechanisms are discussed:

1. Location or domain-based metadata binding: rightsholders' preferences for web-published content are included in robots.txt-file or in HTML/HTTP metadata of the domain, e.g. Robots.txt;

2. Asset-based metadata binding: provenance metadata – including rightsholders' preferences – is embedded directly into the media file, e.g. C2PA.org.

3. Registry-based metadata binding: ISCC fingerprints and preferences is submitted to publicly accessible registries.

Why Do We Need Opt-Out Registries?

• Embedded metadata is removed from the media file.

• Content is altered or manipulated, compressed or converted into a different file format – which is where methods based on cryptographic hashing fail.

• When content is already distributed, shared and part of training sets, metadata cannot be embedded.

• Content is shared on websites beyond the rightsholder's control, e.g. on social media, so a domain-based approach cannot be applied.

• A lot of content is not publicly accessible on web domains.

• Watermarks or steganographic data can be removed from media files.