Image metadata, rights, and provenance

Metadata is evidence, not permission

A creator or copyright field can help identify the person or organization associated with a file, but a metadata field is not a complete license. Confirm the actual license, contract, consent, and intended audience through the source workflow.

C2PA manifests can carry provenance assertions and action history. This tool reports presence state only and does not validate trust or grant permission to publish.

A safe handoff

• Record where the file came from and which usage decision was made.
• Inspect location and device fields before sharing publicly.
• Keep source files and the reviewed export separate so later edits do not erase the audit trail.

References

• C2PA — Guidance for creators
• WIPO — Copyright basics