The PLUS License Data Format ("LDF") provides fields available for optional use in embedding and
reading image license metadata in digital files and other documents. The LDF only contains information
essential to the understanding of rights information related to a visual artwork. The LDF is exclusively
dedicated to the communication of rights-related information, and does not include other information
about an image, such as captions, which can and should be communicated using the
IPTC Photo Metadata
standard (which also includes a subset of the LDF fields). The LDF is now used by a broad range of
licensors and licensees, worldwide. It is not expected that any user will necessarily make use of the
full range of fields available in the LDF. Each user has full discretion in determining which fields will
be used in that user's licensing workflow. The LDF is not a licensing interface, but is a metadata "schema"
for communicating rights information for visual works. The LDF resides "under the hood" in a broad range of
applications in digital asset management, imaging and licensing, allowing users to easily specify, access
and read the rights information associated with a visual work. LDF metadata may also be specified and
accessed via "file info" panels or "property" dialogs in common applications.
For Developers: Some LDF fields are meant to be subfields of parent structures and cannot be used as
standalone fields. These must be implemented within parent structures, collections and fields in
accordance with the LDF specification in order to ensure interoperability with applications capable of
reading and writing LDF metadata.