1.0RSL 1.0 specification finalized

The content rights standard for the Internet

Really Simple Licensing (RSL) is an open standard for declaring how AI systems and automated agents may access, use, and license digital content.

RSL GuideRSL SpecificationQuickstart
txt
License: https://example.com/license.xml
xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">ai-train</permits>
      <payment type="subscription">
        <custom>https://example.com/license.html</custom>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

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ziff davis

Core capabilities

Define how your content can be used ​

Declare permissions and restrictions for AI training, search, and other automated uses of digital content, including requirements for attribution and compensation.

xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/">
    <license>
      <!-- AI training permitted under subscription -->
      <permits type="usage">ai-train</permits>
      <permits type="user">commercial</permits>
      <prohibits type="usage">ai-input</prohibits>
      <payment type="subscription">
        <!-- Publisher-specific licensing terms -->
        <custom>https://example.com/license.html</custom>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>
xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/">
    <license>
      <!-- All automated uses, including AI, permitted -->
      <permits type="usage">all</permits>
      <permits type="user">non-commercial</permits>
      <!-- Free use with attribution required -->
      <payment type="attribution">
        <!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 -->
        <standard>https://creativecommons.org/by-nc/4.0/</standard>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Automate content licensing ​

Enable AI and other technology companies to acquire licenses at Internet scale through the RSL Open License Protocol (OLP), eliminating manual negotiations and integrations.

xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <!-- OLP server issues and validates license tokens -->
  <content url="/videos"
           server="https://example.org/olp">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">ai-train</permits>
      <!-- A license token is required even if free -->
      <payment type="free"/>
      <legal type="contact">[email protected]</legal>
      <!-- Additional terms can be specified here -->
      ...
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Support any licensing model ​

Specify free, attribution-based, commercial, or collective licensing terms, with support for subscriptions, usage-based payments, and custom agreements.

xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/"
           server="https://example.org/olp">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">ai-input</permits>
      <permits type="user">commercial</permits>
      <payment type="use">
        <!-- Shared collective licensing agreement -->
        <standard>https://example.org/license</standard>
      </payment>
      <legal type="contact">[email protected]</legal>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>
xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <!-- OLP server issues collective license tokens -->
  <content url="/"
           server="https://example.org/olp">
    <license>
      <!-- Free use with attribution required -->
      <payment type="attribution">
        <!-- Shared collective licensing agreement -->
        <standard>https://example.org/license</standard>
      </payment>
      <legal type="contact">[email protected]</legal>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Securely license nonpublic content ​

Protect books, videos, datasets, and other proprietary content using the Encrypted Media Standard (EMS), which combines encryption with license-based access control.

xml
<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <!-- Encrypted asset; OLP server supplies the key -->
  <content url="/books/book1.epub.enc"
           encrypted="true"
           server="https://example.org/olp">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">ai-train</permits>
      <payment type="purchase">
        <custom>https://example.org/books/license</custom>
      </payment>
      <legal type="contact">[email protected]</legal>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Create standardized catalogs of digital assets ​

Integrate with RSS and Schema.org to publish machine-readable catalogs of digital assets and their associated licensing terms.

xml
<rss xmlns:rsl="https://rslstandard.org/rsl" version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>UCI Machine Learning Repository</title>
    <item>
      <title>Iris dataset</title>
      <link>https://ics.uci.edu/dataset/53/iris</link>
      <rsl:content url="/public/53/iris.zip">
        <rsl:license>
          <rsl:payment type="free"/>
        </rsl:license>
      </rsl:content>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

Statements of support

Today, as AI systems absorb and repurpose that same content without permission or compensation, the rules need to evolve. RSL builds directly on the legacy of RSS, providing the missing licensing layer for the AI-first Internet.
Tim O’ReillyCEO of O’Reilly Media
Creators are essential to the success of the AI era and must be fairly compensated. RSL moves the industry forward—evolving from simply blocking unauthorized crawlers, to setting our licensing terms, for all AI use cases, at global web scale.
Neil VogelCEO People Inc.
The launch of the RSL Standard is a timely and necessary response to the shifting economics of the web. By making it easy for publishers to define and enforce licensing terms, RSL lays the foundation for a healthy content ecosystem.
Simon WistowCo-founder of Fastly
Quora is proud to support the RSL Standard, which helps publishers set terms that work for them, serving as an important step towards a sustainable path for both industries to create mutual value and thrive together.
Ricky Arai-LopezHead of Product, Quora
Ziff Davis strongly supports RSL’s efforts at ensuring that copyright holders receive fair compensation for their intellectual property. By working together through the shared RSL Standard, we can protect the value of trusted content.
Vivek ShahCEO of Ziff Davis
For the open web to be sustainable, creators need to know that the work we pour into our site is valued and compensated fairly. Independent publishers and creators drive information and knowledge forward.
Adam and Joanne GallagherCo-Founders, Inspired Taste

Add RSL to your site in minutes

QuickstartRSL Specification