Key terms in this module(15)
Quick definitions for the terms used here. Open any term for the full entry.
- AI Pipeline
Specific stages of an AI content lifecycle, data ingestion → training → inference → output → distribution, at which subsisting IP rights in creative works are engaged, potentially infringed, or required to be accounted for.
- Attribution
Assignment of credit to contributors or rights holders. Distinct from authorship; an asset can have multiple attributions (declared, derived, computed).
- CDR
Core Data Record. A structured record capturing key information about a creative asset, including the rights, consent, and provenance information attached to it. The CDR is the primary provenance infrastructure for AI pipeline entry.
- cip.md
The framework's declaration file format. A plain-text Markdown file at https://[domain]/.well-known/cip.md declaring rights, consent, and certification status in machine-readable form. Specified in the v3.18 consolidated cip.md Specification page; AI Generation field set added v3.24.
- Consent Framework
The set of permissions, limits, and controls defining how a creative work may be used, capturing whether consent is granted for AI training, fine-tuning, commercial use, and on what terms.
- Creative Asset
Unit of content, image, song, video, model output. Carries identity, rights position, and provenance.
- Expression
Specific form in which an idea is expressed, text, image, music, code, performance script. The legal category copyright protects (idea-expression dichotomy).
- Input licence class
A classification of the type of licence under which a creative work is held. Classes: Owned, Licensed-Commercial, Licensed-Non-Commercial, Open-Permissive, Open-Conditional, Restricted, Prohibited.
- Licensing
Permission to use IP under conditions, the operational mechanism for rights monetisation. Distinct from sale (which transfers ownership).
- NILP
Name, Image, Likeness, Publicity. Rights over the commercial use of a person's identity markers, name, face, voice, persona, likeness. Engaged by voice cloning, deepfakes, AI-generated likenesses, synthetic impersonation.
- Performance
Public execution, display, or enactment of the work, live, streamed, broadcast, digital rendering. Foundational rights category covered by performance rights and neighbouring rights.
- Provenance
The documented history of where content comes from and how it has been transformed. Captured in the Core Data Record and evidenced through the Rights Registry.
- Reproduction
Copying, duplication, or instantiation of the work in identical or near-identical form. Foundational rights category, the most basic copyright control.
- Rights Registry
The verification system used to confirm rights-related status, credentials, and recognised outputs. Five capabilities: (1) lookup by CDR ID, (2) historical verification at timestamp, (3) operator-identity verification, (4) provenance-chain resolution, (5) bulk URL-to-rights-position lookup.
- Transformation
Structured modification of inferred output, editing, filtering, formatting, rewriting, tool use. Distinct from Generation (which produces); transformation modifies existing.
2.1 What the CDR is for
The Core Data Record is the provenance infrastructure of the CIP framework. Its purpose is to make a creative asset's rights legible — to turn the invisible web of subsisting rights into a structured, machine-readable record that AI systems, platforms, agencies, and lawyers can query and verify.
Without a CDR, a creative asset enters the AI pipeline as a blob of content with no identity. The pipeline cannot know who created it, what rights subsist in it, or on what terms it may be used. With a CDR, every transformation, ingestion, and use event can be recorded and verified. The CDR is to creative content what a ship's manifest is to cargo: it does not create the goods, but it makes their movement accountable.
2.2 Key CDR fields
Asset identification — title, asset type (audio, image, text, video, dataset), format, unique identifier, creation date, version
Creator information — named creator(s), role (composer, performer, photographer, author, producer), jurisdiction, contact rights (the authorised way to reach the rights holder for licensing)
Rights bundle — which of the six CIP rights categories subsist in this specific asset. Status for each: Subsisting / Waived / Assigned / Expired / N/A
Input licence class — how the asset may be used by others:
- Owned — full rights, all transformations permitted to the rights holder
- Licensed (Commercial) — paid usage, scope as agreed
- Licensed (Non-Commercial) — restricted to non-commercial use
- Open (Permissive) — minimal restrictions, free use
- Open (Conditional) — attribution and/or share-alike required
- Restricted — limited use, no derivatives
- Prohibited — no use, opt-out/blocked
Consent framework — whether consent is granted for AI training ingestion, fine-tuning, commercial use; any temporal or scope limits; the consent mechanism
Transformation permissions — Original, Reproduction, Modification, Remix, Style Transfer, Synthesis — each set to Permitted / Attribution-Required / Restricted / Blocked / On-Request
Provenance chain — any prior works, datasets, or sources this asset derives from
Registry ID — the unique Rights Registry identifier assigned at CDR registration, enabling lookup and verification
2.3 Creating your first CDR
CDRs are created through the CIP portal at creativeip.org/portal. The process takes approximately 15 minutes for a straightforward asset.
Step-by-step for a musician creating a CDR for a recorded song:
- Log in or register at creativeip.org
- Navigate to CDR Management → New CDR
- Enter asset details: title, type (Audio), format (MP3/WAV), creation date
- Enter creator information: full legal name, role (Composer / Performer), jurisdiction
- Set rights bundle: Expression = Subsisting, Performance = Subsisting, Moral = Subsisting, NILP = Subsisting, Publishing = Subsisting, Biometric = Subsisting
- Set input licence class: Prohibited (if you do not want AI training use)
- Set consent framework: Training Ingestion = Not-Granted, Fine-Tuning = Not-Granted
- Set transformation permissions: Style = Blocked, Reproduction = Blocked, Synthesis = Blocked
- Connect to Rights Registry → receive your CDR Registry ID
- Copy the CDR Registry ID to your cip.md file via CIP-CDR-ID
Summary
Key Takeaways
- A CDR makes subsisting rights legible and machine-readable
- Key sections: asset identification, creator info, rights bundle, licence class, consent framework, transformation permissions, provenance chain, Registry ID
- CDR registration takes approximately 15 minutes for a single asset
- Platform Certification requires 95% Rights Payload coverage — a platform that holds a CDR for your asset has it in its verified 95%
Self-check
Check Your Understanding
- What is the primary purpose of a Core Data Record (CDR)?
- Which of the following is NOT a CIP input licence class?
- What analogy does the CIP framework use to describe the CDR's function?
- What does the transformation permissions section of a CDR control?
- What is the Platform Certification threshold for Rights Payload coverage?