Content rights — images, fonts, music, and trademarks are licensed

Using unlicensed content — a commercially-licensed font TTF file distributed without a mobile app license, a stock photo with a watermark removed, background music without a synchronization license — violates copyright law (17 U.S.C. §501) and supply chain integrity (CWE-1357). App stores reject apps containing clearly infringing assets when detected during review, and rights holders can file DMCA takedowns post-publication that force removal within 24 hours. Commercial font licenses for desktop typically explicitly exclude app distribution; Proxima Nova, Gotham, and Helvetica Neue each require separate mobile licensing agreements costing hundreds to thousands of dollars annually.

Audit every asset in assets/, src/assets/, and lib/assets/ before submission. Create a THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md at the repo root documenting each third-party asset:

# Find all font files in the project
find . -name '*.ttf' -o -name '*.otf' | sort
# Find all audio files
find . -name '*.mp3' -o -name '*.wav' -o -name '*.m4a' | sort

Replace commercial fonts with open-licensed equivalents: Google Fonts packages (@expo-google-fonts/*) use the Open Font License and are safe for app distribution. Replace stock photos with CC0-licensed images from Unsplash or Pexels (verify each image's specific license for commercial use). For icon libraries, use FontAwesome Free (SIL OFL + MIT) or Material Icons (Apache 2.0) rather than Pro icon sets without documented licenses.

• ID: app-store-metadata-listing.review-submission.content-rights
• Severity: high
• What to look for: Scan the asset directories (assets/, src/assets/, images/, fonts/, audio/, lib/assets/) for content that may require licensing. Check: (a) Fonts: Look in assets/fonts/ for .ttf or .otf files. Cross-reference font filenames against known commercial fonts (e.g., Proxima Nova, Gotham, Futura, Helvetica Neue as a custom TTF file rather than a system font) — commercial fonts require purchase of a mobile/app distribution license, not just a desktop license. For Expo Google Fonts (@expo-google-fonts/*), these are licensed under the Open Font License and are safe to distribute. For react-native-vector-icons, check the specific icon set license (FontAwesome free vs. Pro). (b) Images and illustrations: Look for stock photo filenames (common patterns: shutterstock_, getty_, 123rf_, depositphotos_, numbered filenames like 1234567890.jpg that resemble stock library IDs). Check if LICENSES.md or THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md documents image sources. (c) Audio/Music: Look for .mp3, .wav, .aac, .m4a files in assets/. Music requires synchronization licensing for app distribution. (d) Trademarks in assets: Look for well-known logos, brand marks, or character artwork in the assets directory — using trademarked imagery without permission is a rejection cause. (e) Check package.json dependencies for icon library packages and verify their license terms. Count every third-party asset (fonts, images, audio, icons) in the project and enumerate each with its license type. Classify as properly licensed or needs review.
• Pass criteria: A LICENSES.md or equivalent documents all third-party assets; or all detected assets are from clearly open/free sources (Google Fonts, SIL OFL licensed fonts, CC0/public domain images); or no third-party media assets are detected in the repository. At least 1 implementation must be confirmed.
• Fail criteria: Commercial font TTF files present without any license documentation; stock photo filenames detected in assets directory; audio files present with no license documentation; trademarked logos or character artwork present as app assets.
• Skip (N/A) when: The repository contains no media assets (no fonts, images, or audio files beyond framework defaults) — this is common for apps that load all assets from remote URLs.
• Cross-reference: The icon-compliant check in Listing Content verifies the icon does not infringe on third-party trademarks, complementing this broader rights check.
• Detail on fail: "assets/fonts/ProximaNova-Regular.ttf appears to be a commercial font with no license documentation in the repository" or "assets/images/shutterstock_1234567890.jpg filename pattern suggests an unlicensed stock photo".
• Remediation: Using unlicensed assets is a copyright violation that can result in rejection and legal action.
  1. Create a LICENSES.md file documenting every third-party font, image, and audio asset with its source and license
  2. Replace commercial fonts with equivalent open-source fonts (Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts with appropriate license, or system fonts)
  3. Replace stock photos with CC0-licensed images (Unsplash, Pexels — verify the specific license for commercial app use)
  4. For icon libraries, use FontAwesome Free (SIL OFL + MIT) or Material Icons (Apache 2.0) rather than paid icon sets without license documentation
  5. When using any brand's trademark in a third-party integration context, follow their trademark usage guidelines Document all third-party asset licenses in src/assets/LICENSES.md or a root THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md. Reference font licenses from src/assets/fonts/.