Licenses for public Things
Public Things are open source. The default is CERN-OHL-P 2.0 (open hardware, permissive); Pro and up can choose share-alike or non-commercial licenses. What each one allows and how licenses carry into remixes.
Every public Thing carries an open license. It tells everyone what they may do with your design, and it travels with every remix.
The default: CERN-OHL-P 2.0
Unless you pick another one, public Things use the CERN Open Hardware Licence, permissive (CERN-OHL-P 2.0). It was written for hardware: anyone may make, change, sell and share the design, as long as they keep your copyright and license notice. It suits physical things better than software or media licenses because it covers manufacturing, not just copying files.
All licenses
| License | Others may | Remixes must | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| CERN-OHL-P 2.0 (default) | use, change, make and sell, with credit | credit you | Maker and up |
| CC BY 4.0 | use, change and sell, with credit | credit you | Maker and up |
| CERN-OHL-S 2.0 | use, change, make and sell | stay CERN-OHL-S (share-alike) | Pro and up |
| CC BY-SA 4.0 | use, change and sell, with credit | stay CC BY-SA (share-alike) | Pro and up |
| CC BY-NC 4.0 | use and change, not commercially | stay non-commercial | Pro and up |
| CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | use and change, not commercially | stay CC BY-NC-SA | Pro and up |
The license is shown on every listing card and page, with a link to its full text.
Licenses carry into remixes
- A remix starts with the same license as the version it came from, and credit to the creator.
- If the source is share-alike, the remix can only be published under that same license — even on a plan without custom licenses, so remixing never traps you.
- If the source is non-commercial, the remix stays non-commercial.
- Permissive sources (CERN-OHL-P, CC BY) let the remix pick any license your plan allows.
Changing a license
You choose the license when you publish or release a new version. Changing it later only affects new versions; anyone who already remixed keeps the license of the version they remixed.
Not legal advice. If you need a specific arrangement (a company policy, a patent), talk to a lawyer before publishing.
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