Taxonomy Dimensions

The NIL Taxonomy uses 12 core dimensions to classify all aspects of NIL licensing.

The 12 Dimensions

1. Subject Scope

What aspects of the athlete are covered

Value	Description	Example
`name`	Legal name and common nicknames	"Patrick Mahomes", "Pat"
`image`	Photographs and video footage	Headshots, action photos
`likeness`	Recognizable representation	Illustrations, caricatures
`signature_marks`	Unique identifiers	Jersey number, signature
`synthetic_likeness`	AI-generated representations	Deepfakes, digital avatars
`performance_data`	Stats and analytics	Passing yards, completion %

Common combinations:

Name + Image + Likeness (most common)
Name + Image + Likeness + Signature Marks (endorsements)
All dimensions (comprehensive deals)

2. Use Type

Purpose of the license

Value	Description	Commercial?
`editorial`	News, journalism, critique	No
`educational`	Teaching, research, classroom	No
`brand_marketing`	Brand campaigns	Yes
`paid_advertising`	Paid media placements	Yes
`product_association`	Product endorsement	Yes
`ugc_campaign`	User-generated content contests	Yes
`internal_only`	Internal company use	No

Conflicts:

editorial + full_commercial = Invalid
educational + brand_marketing = Requires justification

3. Commercial Scope

Level of commercial use

Value	Description	Allowed Uses
`non_commercial`	No commercial use	Editorial, educational
`limited_commercial`	Restricted commercial use	Low-budget campaigns, startups
`full_commercial`	Unrestricted commercial use	Major brand campaigns

Typical pairings:

Educational → non_commercial
Standard commercial → full_commercial
UGC campaigns → limited_commercial

4. Exclusivity

Exclusivity arrangements

Value	Description	Example
`none`	Non-exclusive	Athlete can work with multiple brands
`category_exclusive`	Exclusive within categories	Only athletic apparel brand in that category
`full_exclusive`	Complete exclusivity	No other brand deals of any kind

Exclusive Categories:

QSR (Quick Service Restaurants)
Sports Betting
Athletic Apparel
Beverages
Supplements
Automotive
Technology
Financial Services

⚠️

Category exclusive requires specifying which categories. Full exclusive prohibits all other commercial activity.

5. Territory

Geographic scope

Type	Description	Example
`global`	Worldwide rights	International campaigns
`countries`	Specific countries	['US', 'CA', 'MX']
`regions`	Named regions	['North America', 'Europe']
`states`	US states	['CA', 'NY', 'TX']
`cities`	Specific cities	['New York', 'Los Angeles']
`venues`	Specific venues	['Madison Square Garden']

Rules:

Cannot combine global: true with specific territories
Country codes must be ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
More specific territories can be combined (states + cities)

6. Term

Time-limited rights

// Fixed term
term: {
  start_date: '2024-01-01',
  end_date: '2025-12-31',
  auto_renew: false
}
 
// Auto-renewing
term: {
  start_date: '2024-01-01',
  end_date: '2025-12-31',
  auto_renew: true,
  renewal_period: 'annual' // or 'monthly', 'quarterly'
}
 
// Perpetual
term: {
  perpetual: true
}
 
// Campaign-based
term: {
  campaign_duration: '2024-Q3'
}

Auto-renewal requires explicit renewal_period. Perpetual terms are rare and typically require higher compensation.

7. Derivative Rights

Editing and transformation permissions

Value	Description	Allowed Modifications
`none`	No modifications	As-is only
`limited`	Minor edits	Crop, resize, color correction
`ugc_remix`	Transformative UGC	Memes, remixes, parodies
`full_with_guardrails`	Full rights with approval	Any edit with pre-approval

Use cases:

Print ads → limited
Meme campaigns → ugc_remix
Long-term partnerships → full_with_guardrails

8. AI & Synthetic Use

AI-generated content rules

Value	Description	Permitted
`prohibited`	No AI use	None
`limited_depiction_only`	Only existing content	AI enhancement of real images
`avatar_only`	Virtual avatar creation	Digital twin for gaming/metaverse
`synthetic_allowed_with_approval`	With prior approval	Deepfakes, synthetic video (approved)
`synthetic_fully_allowed`	Unrestricted AI	Any synthetic content

🚫

High Risk: synthetic_fully_allowed removes all AI restrictions. Requires enhanced compensation and clear athlete consent.

9. Data Use

Performance and biometric data rights

data_use: {
  level: 'identified_analytics_only',
  opt_in_required: true,
  purposes: ['performance_tracking', 'highlight_generation']
}

Level	Description	Examples
`none`	No data collection	Image-only campaigns
`aggregated_anon`	Anonymous aggregated data	League-wide stats
`identified_analytics_only`	Performance analytics	Personal performance dashboards
`marketing_allowed`	Marketing purposes	Targeted ads based on performance

Opt-in requirement:

identified_analytics_only → Usually required
marketing_allowed → Always required

10. Attribution

Credit requirements

Value	Description	Implementation
`required`	Must credit athlete	"Featuring [Athlete Name]"
`name_required`	Name must appear	Athlete name in caption/credits
`optional`	Credit appreciated but not required	Discretionary
`prohibited`	No attribution	Ghost campaigns

11. Sublicensing

Third-party use permissions

Value	Description	Example
`prohibited`	No third-party use	Brand only
`approved_partners`	Pre-approved partners	Retail partners, agencies
`network_allowed`	Social sharing/embedding	UGC campaigns
`full_sublicense`	Unrestricted sublicensing	Rare, high-value deals

⚠️

network_allowed is specifically for social media sharing in UGC campaigns. It does NOT grant commercial sublicensing rights.

12. Content Safety

Restricted categories and morals clauses

content_safety: {
  restricted_categories: ['adult', 'tobacco', 'alcohol', 'sports_betting'],
  morals_clause: 'enhanced',
  competitor_exclusions: ['Brand X', 'Brand Y']
}

Restricted Categories:

adult - Adult/explicit content
gambling - Gambling/betting
tobacco - Tobacco products
alcohol - Alcoholic beverages
weapons - Firearms/weapons
politics - Political campaigns

Morals Clauses:

standard - Standard conduct requirements
enhanced - Stricter behavioral standards
custom - Custom clause text

Competitor Exclusions:

List of specific brands/companies athlete cannot work with
Typically used with category exclusivity

Dimension Combinations

Common Valid Combinations

Standard Endorsement:

{
  subject_scope: ['name', 'image', 'likeness'],
  use_type: ['brand_marketing', 'paid_advertising'],
  commercial_scope: 'full_commercial',
  exclusivity: 'none'
}

Category Exclusive Deal:

{
  subject_scope: ['name', 'image', 'likeness', 'signature_marks'],
  use_type: ['brand_marketing', 'product_association'],
  commercial_scope: 'full_commercial',
  exclusivity: 'category_exclusive',
  exclusive_categories: ['athletic_apparel']
}

Documentary:

{
  subject_scope: ['name', 'image', 'likeness'],
  use_type: ['editorial', 'educational'],
  commercial_scope: 'non_commercial',
  exclusivity: 'none',
  derivative_rights: 'none'
}

Common Invalid Combinations

Educational + Commercial:

{
  use_type: ['educational'],
  commercial_scope: 'full_commercial' // ❌ Conflict
}

Global + Country-Specific:

{
  territory: {
    global: true,
    countries: ['US'] // ❌ Conflict
  }
}

Perpetual + Auto-Renew:

{
  term: {
    perpetual: true,
    auto_renew: true // ❌ Conflict
  }
}

Validation Flow

Next Steps

Overview Base Licenses