# Rights and permissions come before any licensing discussion

_Updated 2026-10-14_

Having access to records does not mean your company has the right to license them. Rights can be limited by client contracts, confidentiality obligations, prior licenses, employee and customer privacy, and third-party content. Before any introduction, these questions need review, ideally with legal counsel. Saying "yes" on a form is not legal clearance.

## Access is not the same as the right to license

An administrator may be able to export every email in a workspace, but that technical access says nothing about whether the company may grant others rights to that content. The question is whether your company owns the records or holds permission broad enough to license them.

## Common sources of restriction

- Client contracts and confidentiality clauses covering work product or communications
- Prior licenses or exclusivity commitments
- Terms of service of the software that stores the records
- Privacy obligations toward employees, customers, and other individuals
- Content created or owned by third parties, such as commissioned media
- Professional obligations in regulated fields

## Privacy commitments still apply

Regulators have cautioned that companies should not quietly change how they use data in ways that conflict with commitments they made. If your privacy notices or contracts promised limited use, those promises matter when considering a license.

## Who can authorize a discussion?

A job title alone does not establish licensing authority. Our assessment asks whether you can authorize a discussion or introduce the person who can, and we treat uncertain answers as needing review.

## How we handle rights in our review

Rights and authority are tracked separately from commercial fit. A reported lack of licensing rights blocks an introduction, however strong the fit looks. Partial or uncertain rights require review. We are not your lawyer and do not provide legal approval.

> This is general educational information, not legal advice for any jurisdiction.

## Frequently asked questions

### What if I do not own or control the data?

You can still submit and tell us so honestly. We will not pursue an introduction unless rights questions are resolved.

### Does submitting the form give anyone permission to use our data?

No. The assessment does not license any data or grant access to any system.

## Sources

- [U.S. Federal Trade Commission, AI Companies: Uphold Your Privacy and Confidentiality Commitments (2024)](https://www.ftc.gov/policy/advocacy-research/tech-at-ftc/2024/01/ai-companies-uphold-your-privacy-confidentiality-commitments) (reference reviewed 2026-10-18; not buyer eligibility verification)
- [U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright and Artificial Intelligence](https://www.copyright.gov/ai/) (reference reviewed 2026-10-18; not buyer eligibility verification)

## Related

- [Licensing guide](/learn/license-company-data-for-ai)
- [Private codebase licensing](/learn/private-codebase-licensing)
- [Methodology](/methodology)