Data
Licensing

Every data license on FileYield specifies, at minimum:

• —Term — how long the buyer’s rights last
• —Exclusivity — whether the seller can sell the same data to other buyers
• —Permitted uses — what the buyer can do with the data
• —Restricted uses — what the buyer cannot do with the data
• —Geographic scope — whether use is global or limited to certain jurisdictions
• —Modification rights — whether the buyer may transform, derive, or augment the data
• —Attribution — whether the buyer must credit the source
• —Audit rights — whether the seller may verify compliance
• —Termination — under what conditions the license can be terminated and what happens to the data on termination

2.1 One-Time Sale

The buyer pays a one-time fee for perpetual rights to use the data within the permitted scope. The seller may continue selling the same data to other buyers (non-exclusive) unless otherwise specified. Common for static datasets, historical archives, and one-time training corpora.

2.2 Time-Limited License

The buyer’s rights last for a defined period (e.g., 12 months, 24 months). At the end of the term, the buyer must stop using the data and may be required to delete derived models depending on the license terms. Common when sellers want recurring revenue or to maintain control over long-term use.

2.3 Recurring / Subscription License

The buyer pays a recurring fee (monthly, quarterly, annually) for ongoing access to the dataset and any updates released during the subscription period. Often used for live data feeds, market data, and frequently-updated corpora. Auto-renewal terms must be clearly disclosed.

2.4 Exclusive License

The buyer obtains exclusive rights, meaning the seller cannot sell the same dataset to any other party for the duration of the exclusivity period. Exclusivity commands a premium price. Exclusivity may be limited to a specific use case, geography, or time period.

2.5 Non-Exclusive License

The seller may continue to license the same data to other buyers. The default for most marketplace deals because it lets sellers maximize the value of each dataset.

2.6 Custom Negotiated License

Sellers and buyers may negotiate any combination of the above dimensions, plus custom clauses covering specific use cases, derivative works, sublicensing, audit rights, and termination triggers. Custom licenses must be documented in the platform messaging system or as a signed attachment.

FileYield supports several pricing models that pair with the license types above:

• —Per record — price scales with the number of records (rows, files, hours, transactions)
• —Per gigabyte — price scales with data volume
• —Per use case — price scales with the number of distinct end uses (e.g., per AI model trained)
• —Flat fee — one price for the entire dataset regardless of size
• —Subscription — recurring fee for ongoing access
• —Revenue share — seller receives a percentage of revenue derived from products built on the data
• —Hybrid — combinations of the above

Data sold on FileYield may be subject to compliance frameworks that limit how it can be used. Sellers must disclose applicable frameworks in their listings, and buyers must comply with them in their use. Common frameworks include:

• —HIPAA (U.S. health information)
• —GDPR (EU personal data)
• —CCPA / CPRA (California personal information)
• —FERPA (U.S. education records)
• —GLBA (U.S. financial information)
• —SOX (U.S. financial reporting)
• —PCI-DSS (payment card data)
• —FedRAMP (U.S. government cloud)
• —ITAR / EAR (U.S. export controls)

If a dataset is subject to one of these frameworks, the seller’s license should specify the buyer’s compliance obligations, including any required agreements (e.g., a Business Associate Agreement under HIPAA).

Unless explicitly permitted by the license, buyers may not:

• —Resell, sublicense, or redistribute the data
• —Make the data publicly available
• —Use the data to train models that compete with the seller’s products
• —Re-identify anonymized data subjects
• —Combine the data with other datasets in ways that would violate the seller’s license terms or applicable privacy laws
• —Use the data for unlawful purposes

FileYield does not host or transfer the actual data being sold. Sellers and buyers are responsible for arranging the data transfer through their preferred secure method, which may include:

• —SFTP / encrypted file transfer
• —Cloud storage delivery (S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob)
• —Direct database connection
• —API access to live data
• —Physical media (encrypted hard drive) for very large datasets
• —On-premises delivery (rare, for highly sensitive data)

The seller and buyer should agree on the delivery method, encryption standard, and any authentication requirements before the deal closes.

License disputes between sellers and buyers are resolved between the parties under the governing law specified in the deal. FileYield is not a party to these disputes and does not provide dispute mediation as a standard service. We may, in our discretion, provide the platform’s audit trail (messages, offers, agreements) to either party to assist in resolution.

Questions about licensing on FileYield: support@fileyield.com