1. A method comprising: storing a first content item in a binary storage of an online social networking system, the first content item stored among a plurality of content items in the binary storage; generating a first object that represents the first content item; storing the first object among a plurality of objects in a graph database of the online social networking system; receiving a first claim from an authoring agent of the online social networking system, where the first claim: comprises a first assertion made by the authoring agent referencing the stored first object representing the first content item; and specifies a first audience for the first claim comprising one or more users of the online social networking system; storing the first claim in the graph database as a connection to the stored first object representing the first content item; receiving, from an owner agent associated with the first content item, a copyright setting for the first content item of the plurality of content items, the copyright setting specifying whether other users of the online social networking system may include a reference to the stored first object in a new claim; sending, from the online social networking system to a viewing agent who is in the first audience, a description of the first assertion of the first claim by the authoring agent, where the description references the stored first object representing the first content item and is sent via a first user interface of the online social networking system; receiving a request from the viewing agent to make a second claim that: comprises a second assertion referencing the stored first object representing the first content item; and specifies a second audience for the second claim comprising one or more users of the online social networking system; determining, by a processor, based on the copyright setting whether the viewing agent is authorized to include a reference to the stored first object representing the first content item into the second claim; responsive to determining that the viewing agent is authorized to include a reference to the stored first object representing the first content item into the second claim, storing the second claim in the graph database as a connection to the stored first object representing the first content item; and sending, from the social networking system to one or more users in the second audience, a description of the second assertion of the second claim by the viewing agent, where the description references the first content item and is sent via a second user interface of the online social networking system.