# Palimpsest License

### Creative Content Attribution for the AI Era

[Conference Name] | [Date]
palimpsest-license.org

## The Problem

AI systems scrape billions of creative works

Attribution is lost

Context is stripped

Consent is ignored

### Real-World Impact

- Diaspora narratives extracted without credit
- Protest art training surveillance systems
- Cultural heritage commodified
- Creators lose control over their work

### Technical Failures

#### Metadata Loss

- EXIF stripped from images
- HTML comments removed
- License info discarded

#### Consent Gaps

- robots.txt ignored
- No AI-specific signals
- Terms of Service unenforceable

## The Palimpsest License

A layered licensing framework for creative work in the age of AI

### Core Principles

1. Emotional Lineage: Protect narrative context and cultural significance
2. Layered Consent: Distinguish interpretive vs. non-interpretive AI
3. Quantum-Proof Traceability: Future-proof attribution
4. DAO Governance: Collective rights management

### Key Clauses

- Clause 1.2: Non-interpretive AI systems require explicit consent
- Clause 2.3: Metadata preservation is mandatory
- Clause 3.4: Emotional and symbolic texture must be preserved

## Technical Mechanisms

Three layers of infrastructure

### 1. DNS-Based License Discovery

    _license.example.com. 3600 IN TXT "palimpsest-v0.4"
    _license.example.com. 3600 IN TXT "ai-consent=interpretive-only"

- Automated license detection
- DNSSEC authentication
- Low latency (cached)

### 2. HTTP Header Extensions

    X-License-URI: https://example.com/palimpsest.html
    X-AI-Consent: non-interpretive-prohibited
    X-Attribution-Chain: sha256:abc123...
    X-Emotional-Lineage: protest-song; cultural-heritage

- Inline consent signalling
- CDN-compatible
- ~200 bytes overhead

### 3. Metadata Preservation

- Images: EXIF/IPTC preservation
- HTML: JSON-LD structured data
- Documents: XMP metadata
- All formats: Content-addressable attribution chains

### Quantum-Proof Attribution

- Post-quantum cryptographic signatures
- Merkle trees for derivative tracking
- Distributed ledger integration (non-cryptocurrency)
- Future-proof against quantum computing attacks

## Deployment Strategies

Practical implementation paths

### For Web Servers

    # nginx configuration
    add_header X-License-URI "https://example.com/license.html" always;
    add_header X-AI-Consent "non-interpretive-prohibited" always;
    proxy_pass_header X-Attribution-Chain;

Similar configs for Apache, Caddy, etc.

### For CDNs

- Preserve metadata headers through caching layers
- Avoid aggressive image optimisation that strips EXIF
- Edge computing for license validation
- Examples: Cloudflare Workers, Fastly Compute@Edge

### For Content Platforms

- WordPress plugin (in development)
- GitHub integration via .license file
- CMS modules (Drupal, Joomla)
- Creative software export templates

## Governance Model

The Palimpsest Stewardship Council

### Council Composition

- 3 Creator Representatives
- 2 Legal Experts (IP, Dutch/Scottish law)
- 1 Technologist (AI ethics/decentralised systems)
- 1 Cultural Heritage Advocate

Creator-majority ensures community control

### Decision-Making

- Minor versions: 4/7 Council vote, 30-day consultation
- Major versions: 6/7 Council vote, 90-day review
- Transparency: All decisions publicly documented
- Community input: Open GitHub discussions

## Use Cases

### Diaspora Storytelling

> "My family's migration story was scraped and used to train a chatbot. The AI reproduced our trauma without context, without consent, without credit. Palimpsest helps me protect what matters."

— Elena, Romanian-born writer

### Protest Art

> "My artwork from climate protests ended up training surveillance systems. The same images I created to resist authority are now used to surveil activists. I need a license that says: interpretive use only."

— Kofi, activist artist

### Cultural Heritage

- British Library digitised collections
- Indigenous knowledge preservation
- Minority language documentation
- Museum archives and annotations

Protecting context and cultural significance

## Regulatory Alignment

### European Union

- AI Act: Training data documentation requirements
- DSA: Content traceability obligations
- Copyright Directive: Platform liability
- GDPR: Privacy-by-design

### United Kingdom

- Online Safety Act: Traceability requirements
- IPO AI Consultation: Copyright and AI
- Scottish Law: Separate jurisdiction considerations

### International

- UDHR Article 27: Cultural rights
- UNDRIP: Indigenous peoples' rights
- Berne Convention: Moral rights

## Questions?

## Get Involved

- Website: palimpsest-license.org
- GitHub: github.com/palimpsest-license
- Mailing List: [conference-specific]@palimpsest-license.org
- Pilot Deployments: [Contact information]

## Next Steps

1. Gather feedback from this session
2. Refine technical specifications
3. Coordinate pilot deployments
4. Develop standards proposals (IETF, W3C)
5. Build community and coalitions

## Thank You

Let's protect creators in the AI age

palimpsest-license.org
[Organiser contact information]