Preamble
The Craft Commons License is designed to protect small-scale craftspeople while encouraging the free exchange of knowledge and design within artisan communities. It is inspired by the Peer Production License developed by Dmytri Kleiner and the broader copyfarleft movement.
Traditional open licenses allow anyone — including large industrial manufacturers — to use, copy, and commercialize shared work. This can undermine the livelihoods of the very craftspeople who created and shared that work. The Craft Commons License addresses this by introducing a production threshold: free use for small producers, no commercial use for mass production.
The threshold is not fixed. Each craft community can set its own limit according to the realities of their trade. For handpan makers using PanForge, the threshold is set at 100 units per year.
License Summary
You are free to use, modify, and commercialize this work if you manufacture fewer than 100 units per year.
Any derivative work must be shared under the same license.
Commercial use by others is not permitted beyond this threshold.
Craft Commons License — Share Alike — 100 units/year
Definitions
The original creator who publishes a Work under this license.
Any person or entity exercising rights under this license.
The design, shape, pattern, or other creative output licensed under these terms.
Any modification, adaptation, or work based upon the original Work.
Any individual, workshop, company, or entity that manufactures physical objects based on the Work.
The maximum number of units a Producer may manufacture per calendar year while retaining commercial rights under this license. For this implementation: 100 units/year.
Any use primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation.
Rights Granted
Subject to the conditions below, the Licensor grants you the following rights:
Conditions
1. Share Alike
If you create a Derivative Work, you must distribute it under the same Craft Commons License — Share Alike terms.
You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
2. Production Threshold
If you are not the original creator of the Work, commercial use is permitted only if your production of objects based on that specific Work does not exceed 100 units per calendar year.
The original creator of a Work retains unlimited production rights over their own creation.
Derivative Works are owned by their creator, who may produce them commercially under the same terms: unlimited for themselves, up to 100 units/year for others.
If you exceed the threshold on a Work you did not create, you lose the right to commercial use of that Work. Non-commercial use (personal, educational, research) remains permitted.
3. Attribution
You must give appropriate credit to the original creator, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
4. No Additional Restrictions
You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Limitations
No Warranty
The Work is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. The Licensor makes no representations or warranties regarding the Work, including its fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, or non-infringement.
No Liability
In no event shall the Licensor be liable for any claim, damages, or other liability arising from the use of the Work, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise.
No Trademark Rights
This license does not grant permission to use the trade names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the Licensor.
No Patent Rights
This license does not grant any rights under patent claims of the Licensor.
How to Apply This License
To apply the Craft Commons License to your work, attach the following notice:
© [Year] [Your Name]
This work is licensed under the Craft Commons License — Share Alike — 100 units/year.
Others are free to use, modify, and commercialize this work if they produce fewer than 100 units per year. I retain unlimited rights to my own creation. Derivatives must be shared under the same terms.
Full license: panforge.fr/license
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I produce exactly 100 units?
You remain within the threshold. The limit is "fewer than 100" for commercial use, so producing up to 100 units is permitted.
What counts as one unit?
One finished instrument or product. Components, prototypes kept for personal use, and items destroyed during production do not count.
Can I use this license for other crafts?
Yes. The Craft Commons License is designed to be adaptable. You can set your own production threshold appropriate to your trade. A ceramic studio might set 200 units, a luthier might set 50.
Who owns a Derivative Work?
You own the Derivative Works you create. As their creator, you have unlimited production rights over them. Others may use your Derivative Work under the same terms: up to 100 units/year for commercial use, Share Alike required.
What happens if I exceed the threshold?
You lose the right to commercial use for that specific Work. You may continue non-commercial use (personal, educational, research). This does not affect your rights over your own creations or Derivative Works you authored. To resume commercial use of someone else's Work, you would need to negotiate directly with the original creator.
Can I produce unlimited quantities of my own designs?
Yes. The production threshold only applies to others using your Work. As the original creator, you retain full rights to produce and sell as many units as you wish.
Is this license legally enforceable?
This license is a statement of intent and a moral commitment within the craft community. Its enforceability may vary by jurisdiction. For stronger legal protection, creators are encouraged to register their designs officially while releasing them under this license to fellow craftspeople.
How does this relate to official design protection?
We encourage creators to file their designs legally (with national IP offices) to protect against industrial capture, while simultaneously releasing them under the Craft Commons License to fellow makers. Legal protection + community sharing = protected freedom.
Craft Commons License — Share Alike
Version 1.0 — December 2025
This license was created by the PanForge community, inspired by the Peer Production License and the copyfarleft movement.