RightsRadar

RightsRadar is a web app (with optional mobile capture) that helps special collections staff quickly assess copyright and donor restrictions for items they want to digitize or publish online. You enter minimal metadata (creator, date, publication status, jurisdiction, donor terms) and the app generates a plain-language risk summary, recommended next steps, and a documentation trail you can attach to the item record. It also provides templated outreach emails for rights holders and a lightweight workflow for approvals, takedown readiness, and periodic re-review. This is a combination traditional + AI app: rules-based logic handles the predictable parts; AI helps interpret messy donor agreements and legacy notes, but always shows citations and confidence levels. Brutal truth: most institutions are understaffed and avoid digitization because rights clearance is slow, scary, and inconsistent—this app targets that bottleneck rather than trying to “AI-catalog” everything.