The current Commons workflow for file copyright permissions is that an editor contacts the copyright owner, who mails permission to OTRS, the editor then uploads the file and puts [[ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:OTRS_pending | {{OTRS-pending}} ]] on it, and the OTRS agent verifies the permission by replacing the template with [[ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:OTRS_received | {{OTRS received}} ]]. There are many problems with this:
* The burden of writing a correct boilerplate permission is on the uploader. This does not works well in practice; less experienced users often omit some obscure but important requirement (e.g. permission for commercial reuse) and the OTRS agent has to refuse. This annoys uploaders and copyright holders and wastes the time of OTRS agents.
* The process involves more manual work for the OTRS agent than ideal (OTRS backlogs are huge) and extra work for the uploader.
* The software has no concept of permissions; the workflow is enforced by external hacks (e.g. AbuseFilter to prevent non-OTRS-agent users from adding {{OTRS received}}) which makes it hard to reuse in other wikis.
One solution would be to use a post-upload permission workflow with a clickthrough interface: the editor uploads the file to non-public storage, receives a secret link, sends it to the copyright holder, the copyright holder can see the image and give permission via clickthrough. The text of the permission does not depend on the editor or the copyright holder (neither of which are usually very knowledgeable about technical details of free content licensing), and OTRS agents only get involved once a boilerplate text which has been pre-approved by them is accepted.
A possible implementation:
* When uploading via Special:Upload[Wizard], there is a checkbox "//I need to request permission for this image//".
* When the box is checked, the upload goes to the permission stash (a new type of upload stash). The uploader can add license, description and other metadata, but the image is not public, does not appear on recent changes etc.
* Unlike the normal stash, the image is still visible to anyone (not just the uploader) via a new special page Special:PermissionRequest/<secret token>. The page has a boilerplate text for the selected license; the text can be accepted via clickthrough.
* The uploader only needs to send the link to this page to the copyright holder. After the copyright holder accepts by clickthrough another secret link is generated (along with some boilerplate text for an email message). The copyright holder needs to send that link to OTRS in email.
* OTRS agents can verify the permission by clicking on the secret link, reviewing the permission, and clicking accept, at which point the image becomes public.
* If the verification does not happen for a given period of time, and the image gets deleted.