Introduction
Really Simple Licensing (RSL) is the new frontier for managing online content in the age of artificial intelligence. Supported by giants like Reddit, Yahoo, and Medium, RSL promises to revolutionize how publishers monetize AI companies’ access to their data.
Context
RSL was created to overcome the limitations of traditional robots.txt, offering an open system that integrates licensing and payment rules directly into crawler control files. Led by the RSL Collective, with key figures like Eckart Walther and Doug Leeds, and technical support from Fastly for rule enforcement.
Direct definition
Really Simple Licensing is a standard that allows websites to specify how content can be used and paid for by AI companies.
The Challenge
Until now, publishers had little control over monetizing their content used for AI training. Robots.txt only allowed blocking or permitting access, without any way to define compensation or specific conditions.
Solution / Approach
RSL introduces the ability to choose between different compensation models: subscriptions, pay-per-crawl, or pay-per-inference. Terms are machine-readable and integrated into control files, allowing publishers to manage access to their data flexibly and transparently.
- Customizable payment models
- Intellectual property protection
- New revenue opportunities
Direct snippet
With RSL, publishers can finally monetize the use of their content by AI companies.
Main supporters
Early adopters of RSL include Reddit, Yahoo, Medium, Quora, wikiHow, WebMD, and The Daily Beast. These platforms are setting a new standard for digital rights management in AI.
RSL vs traditional robots.txt
The main difference between RSL and robots.txt is the ability to integrate economic and licensing conditions, turning simple access control into a true data management and monetization platform.
Conclusion
Really Simple Licensing marks a decisive step toward greater fairness and transparency in the relationship between publishers and AI companies. Its success will depend on actual AI company compliance, but the model is a turning point for protecting and enhancing online content.
FAQ
- What does Really Simple Licensing change for publishers?
RSL allows publishers to monetize AI companies’ access to their content. - What payment models does RSL offer?
Subscriptions, pay-per-crawl, and pay-per-inference, customizable by the publisher. - How is RSL different from robots.txt?
RSL adds licensing and payment rules, while robots.txt only manages access. - Which companies support Really Simple Licensing?
Reddit, Yahoo, Medium, Quora, wikiHow, WebMD, and other major publishers. - Does RSL guarantee content protection?
Protection depends on AI company compliance and technical infrastructure. - How are payments managed with RSL?
Payments are defined in licensing files and managed via machine-readable models. - Can RSL become a global standard?
If widely adopted, RSL could become the reference for digital rights management in AI. - What are the limitations of Really Simple Licensing?
Its effectiveness depends on AI companies’ willingness to comply with the rules.