Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.
1. Legal clearance & risk
"With public domain art, just make sure you do X and avoid Y; otherwise, there's a 50% chance that a random copyright check the first week will result in your book temporarily being shadowbanned..." â neilv
2. Need for provenance & documentation
"You what you really need is provenance documentation." â rectang
3. Reliable guidance & resources
"Wikimedia commons has some really good help pages on what is and is not public domain:" â bawolff
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Selfâpublished authors, indie publishers, content platforms |
| Core Feature | Imageârights audit that returns a downloadable compliance certificate with source provenance, risk score, and recommended usage notes |
| Tech Stack | Python backend (requests, BeautifulSoup), Rightsâstatus rule engine, PostgreSQL, Docker, FastAPI, React frontend |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Monetization | Revenue-ready: API payâperâcall $0.01 per verification + $19/mo subscription for batch uploads |
| #### Notes | |
| - HN commenters repeatedly ask for trustworthy proof before using publicâdomain art on KDP; this tool provides exactly that âofficial clearanceâ output. | |
| - Could integrate with publishing platforms to autoâattach certificates, solving the âshadowâbannedâ risk mentioned by neilv. |
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Authors, game developers, designers working on crossâborder projects |
| Core Feature | Jurisdictionâaware checklist (e.g., German photographer rights, US PD criteria) that outputs a printable âLicense Readinessâ report |
| Tech Stack | Node.js (Express), GraphQL API, ElasticSearch for rule lookup, Vue.js UI, PostgreSQL |
| Difficulty | High |
| Monetization | Revenue-ready: tiered pricing â $9/mo basic, $29/mo pro with multiâjurisdiction reports |
| #### Notes | |
| - Discussion points about âcountries where photographers retain copyrightâ and âbureaucratic rulesâ indicate a need for jurisdictionâspecific guidance that users can reference before publishing. | |
| - A printable, shareable report would help creators satisfy Amazon KDPâs âsufficient proof of rightsâ requirement and avoid temporary removal. |
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Hobbyists, creators, researchers browsing PD image collections |
| Core Feature | Browser extension that replaces default infinite scroll with smooth pagination, blocks random page opens, and adds a âExport Rights Docâ button |
| Tech Stack | Chrome/Firefox extension (Manifest V3, React), Backend microâservice (Node.js), PDF generation via Puppeteer |
| Difficulty | Low |
| Monetization | Revenue-ready: premium extension tier $4.99/mo for batch export and API access |
| #### Notes | |
| - Multiple comments lament the âwonkyâ scroll and accidental page opens (âopening random pages when I just want to drag and scrollâ) â a stable viewer directly addresses this pain. | |
| - Adding an instant rights document aligns with bawolffâs call for âpractical adviceâ and would be a highly requested feature on HN. |
