Vocabularies

Rights Statements

Controlled vocabulary for rights and licensing

This vocabulary defines rights statements and licenses commonly used for zines.

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About Rights

The rights field in ZineCore2 indicates the copyright status and any licensing terms. This helps users understand how they can use, share, or reproduce the zine.

Common Rights Types

Creative Commons licenses (CC BY, CC BY-NC-SA, etc.)
Anti-copyright / Copyleft
Public domain
All rights reserved
Permission required

Usage in ZineCore2

{
  "title": "My Zine",
  "rights": "CC BY-NC-SA 4.0",
  ...
}

Required Field

rights is a required field in ZineCore2. Every zine must have a rights statement.

API Access

Get Rights Vocabulary

The rights statements vocabulary is available via HTTP API in multiple formats:

JSON (default):

curl https://zinecore.org/api/vocabularies/rights_statements

SKOS/Turtle (W3C standard):

curl -H "Accept: text/turtle" \
  https://zinecore.org/api/vocabularies/rights_statements

CSV (includes URIs and descriptions):

curl -H "Accept: text/csv" \
  https://zinecore.org/api/vocabularies/rights_statements

Stable URIs

Each rights statement has a persistent URI and many link to authoritative sources:

https://zinecore.org/vocab/rights/cc-by → links to Creative Commons
https://zinecore.org/vocab/rights/anti-copyright
https://zinecore.org/vocab/rights/all-rights-reserved

The vocabulary includes uri fields linking to official Creative Commons licenses.

See the Developer Downloads for complete documentation and download links.

Term Definitions

Traditional Copyright

all-rights-reserved

Definition: Standard copyright; creator retains all rights
Permissions: No reuse without explicit permission (fair use excepted)
Use when: Creator wants full control over reproduction and distribution
Examples: "© 2024 Jane Doe. All rights reserved."
Note: This is the default if no other statement is made

unknown

Definition: Rights status cannot be determined or is unspecified
Permissions: Assume all rights reserved; seek permission before reuse
Use when: Cataloging older zines without clear rights statements / No creator information available
Note: Use this rather than guessing or leaving blank

Zine-Culture Rights Statements

anti-copyright

Definition: Creator explicitly rejects copyright and encourages copying
Permissions: Copy, share, redistribute freely
Use when: Zine includes statement like "Anti-© 2024" or "No copyright"
Cultural note: Common in anarchist and punk zine culture
Symbol: Circled "A" or backwards © symbol
Example statement: "Anti-copyright. Copy and distribute freely."

copyleft

Definition: Reuse permitted with requirement that derivatives use same license
Permissions: Copy, modify, distribute if you maintain the same freedoms
Use when: Zine uses copyleft symbol or GPL-style licensing
Similar to: CC BY-SA but predates Creative Commons
Symbol: Reversed © symbol
Historical note: From free software movement, adopted by zine culture

freely-duplicatable

Definition: Creator allows free copying and sharing
Permissions: Photocopy, scan, share digitally without asking
Use when: Zine states "freely duplicatable" or "please copy"
Cultural note: Very common in zine culture, especially pre-2000s
Example statement: "This zine is freely duplicatable"

please-copy

Definition: Explicit invitation to copy and distribute
Permissions: Creator actively wants you to copy and share
Use when: Zine enthusiastically encourages duplication
Cultural note: More emphatic than "freely duplicatable"
Example statements: "Please copy and distribute!" / "Copy me!"

Creative Commons Licenses

Creative Commons licenses are standardized, machine-readable licenses. All use version 4.0 unless specified.

cc-by (Attribution)

Official name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Permissions: Copy, modify, redistribute, commercial use OK
Requirements: Give credit to creator
Best for: Maximum sharing with attribution
Icon: CC BY

cc-by-sa (Attribution-ShareAlike)

Official name: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Permissions: Copy, modify, redistribute, commercial use OK
Requirements: Give credit + use same license for derivatives
Best for: Ensuring derivatives stay open (like copyleft)
Icon: CC BY-SA

cc-by-nc (Attribution-NonCommercial)

Official name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Permissions: Copy, modify, redistribute for noncommercial purposes
Requirements: Give credit + no commercial use
Best for: Sharing freely but preventing commercial exploitation
Icon: CC BY-NC
Note: "Noncommercial" means not primarily for profit; zine distros usually OK

cc-by-nc-sa (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike)

Official name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Permissions: Noncommercial copy, modify, redistribute
Requirements: Give credit + noncommercial + share-alike
Best for: Noncommercial sharing with copyleft
Icon: CC BY-NC-SA
Most common CC license in zine culture

cc-by-nd (Attribution-NoDerivatives)

Official name: Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Permissions: Copy, redistribute (unchanged), commercial use OK
Requirements: Give credit + no modifications
Best for: Sharing exact copies only
Icon: CC BY-ND
Note: Less common in zine culture (limits remix)

cc-by-nc-nd (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives)

Official name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Permissions: Copy, redistribute (unchanged), noncommercial only
Requirements: Give credit + no modifications + noncommercial
Best for: Sharing exact copies, no commercial use, no remixing
Icon: CC BY-NC-ND
Most restrictive CC license (besides All Rights Reserved)

cc0 (Public Domain Dedication)

Official name: Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Permissions: Complete freedom; no restrictions whatsoever
Requirements: None (creator waives all rights)
Best for: Putting work in public domain
Icon: CC0
Note: Different from "public domain" (which happens after copyright expires)

Choosing a Rights Statement

For Creators

Want maximum freedom for others? → Use cc0 (public domain) or anti-copyright

Want credit but allow everything? → Use cc-by

Want to prevent commercial use? → Use cc-by-nc or cc-by-nc-sa

Want derivatives to stay open? → Use cc-by-sa (or copyleft for cultural signaling)

Want traditional copyright? → Use all-rights-reserved

For Catalogers

Zine says "freely duplicatable"? → Use freely-duplicatable

Zine has anti-copyright symbol? → Use anti-copyright

Zine has Creative Commons icon? → Match the specific CC license code

No statement visible? → Use unknown (don't guess)

Rights and Zine Culture

Historical Context

1970s-1980s: Most zines were "freely duplicatable" or had no statement
1990s: "Anti-copyright" became common in punk/anarchist scenes
2000s: Creative Commons adoption began
2010s-present: CC licenses increasingly standard, but informal statements still common

Cultural Norms

Zine culture generally embraces:

Archival scanning: Libraries/archives usually permitted
Non-profit redistribution: Distros, libraries, zine libraries generally OK
Commercial republication: Usually requires permission

Rights vocabulary codes represent what the creator stated, not legal advice. When in doubt, contact the creator or rights holder.

Multiple Rights Statements

Some zines have multiple rights statements for different content:

{
  "title": "Mixed Rights Zine",
  "rights": "cc-by-nc-sa",
  "public_notes": "Poetry by Jane Doe is CC BY-NC-SA. Photos by Bob Smith are all rights reserved."
}

Use the public_notes field for complex rights situations.

Rights for Compilation Zines

When a compilation zine has contributions with different rights:

{
  "title": "Multi-Author Anthology",
  "rights": "unknown",
  "public_notes": "Copyright varies by contributor. See inside for individual rights statements."
}

Or if all contributors agreed to one license:

{
  "title": "CC Licensed Anthology",
  "rights": "cc-by-sa",
  "public_notes": "All contributors licensed their work as CC BY-SA 4.0"
}

Rights and Digitization

For Archives and Libraries

Can I scan this zine?

anti-copyright, please-copy, freely-duplicatable: Yes
cc-by, cc-by-sa, cc-by-nc, cc-by-nc-sa: Yes (noncommercial archival use usually OK)
all-rights-reserved, unknown: Seek permission or rely on fair use/preservation exception

Can I put scans online?

anti-copyright, please-copy, freely-duplicatable, cc0: Yes
cc-by* licenses: Yes, with attribution
all-rights-reserved, unknown: Need permission

Consult local copyright law and institutional policy. Many jurisdictions have preservation and archival exceptions.

Linking to License Texts

When using Creative Commons licenses, link to the full license text:

{
  "rights": "cc-by-sa",
  "relation": ["https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"]
}

The ZineCore2 vocabulary includes these URIs in the vocabulary data.

Suggesting New Rights Terms

To propose a new rights statement:

Verify it's not covered by existing terms
Demonstrate it's common in zine culture (provide examples)
Submit via GitHub issues