Underlying content
Origin, consent, upstream permissions
Annotations & rationales
Creator contracts, work-product rights
Permitted use
Defined by both layers
Contract first
Most label rights are set by the agreement under which labels were made: employment terms, vendor master services agreements, crowd platform terms. Look for assignment of work product, licence-back clauses and restrictions on use beyond the original project.
Copyright is unsettled
Whether a given label is a copyrightable expression varies: a bounding box is unlikely to be; a written rationale or demonstration answer may be. The U.S. Copyright Office's AI reports discuss related questions, and the policy landscape continues to evolve (U.S. Copyright Office). Do not assume either answer without advice.
Rights checklist
| Question | Document to find |
|---|---|
| Who created the labels? | Vendor SOW, employment contract, platform terms |
| Were rights assigned to you? | Assignment / IP clause |
| Any use limits? | Purpose, confidentiality, non-compete clauses |
| Underlying content licensed for AI training? | Source licence or data agreement |
| Personal data involved? | Privacy notice, consent, DPIA |
Not legal advice
This page is general information, not legal advice. Obtain advice from a qualified lawyer about your contracts and each relevant jurisdiction.
Have an annotated dataset or specialist expertise?
Tell us what you own, how the labels were reviewed and which rights you can license. A short overview of your dataset or annotation business is a useful place to start.
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