diff --git a/pandora/config.padma.jsonc b/pandora/config.padma.jsonc
index a7365e343..f5fc18126 100644
--- a/pandora/config.padma.jsonc
+++ b/pandora/config.padma.jsonc
@@ -454,7 +454,11 @@
             "type": ["string"],
             "columnWidth": 120,
             "filter": true,
-            "sort": true
+            "sort": true,
+            "default": [
+                "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License",
+                "Pad.ma General Public License"
+            ]
         },
         {
             "id": "rightslevel",
diff --git a/pandora/item/models.py b/pandora/item/models.py
index 59a89c687..ec274114b 100644
--- a/pandora/item/models.py
+++ b/pandora/item/models.py
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ def get_item(info, user=None, async=False):
                 item = Item()
                 item.user = user
                 item.data = item_data
+                #set default values
+                for k in settings.CONFIG['itemKeys']:
+                    if 'default' in k:
+                        item.data[k['id']] = default_data[k['default']]
                 item.itemId = info.get('oxdbId', item.oxdb_id())
                 try:
                     existing_item = Item.objects.get(oxdbId=item.oxdb_id())