Guides · · By the usi3d team
3D model licences explained: what you can print, share and sell (CC0, CC BY, BY-NC…)
A 3D model’s licence spells out what you may do with it: CC0 allows everything, CC BY asks you to credit the designer, BY-SA makes you share your changes under the same licence, ND rules out publishing modified versions and any licence with ‘NC’ bans selling prints. If the model shows a well-known character or brand, the designer’s licence does not cover that character: to sell it you also need permission from whoever owns it.
Key points
- CC0 is public domain: you can print, modify and sell without crediting anyone.
- CC BY and CC BY-SA allow selling prints if you credit the designer; BY-SA also requires you to publish any modified version under the same licence.
- Any licence with NC (non-commercial) bans selling printed parts without separate permission from the designer.
- The designer’s licence covers their modelling, not the characters or brands that appear in it.
- What you create with usi3d’s AI is yours as far as usi3d is concerned and you can sell it, but it is up to you to check it does not resemble someone else’s work.
What a 3D model licence is and why it matters
An STL or 3MF file is a work with an author, just like a photo or a song. Being free to download does not mean you can do anything with it: the licence is the permission the designer grants everyone else, and it says whether you may print it, change it, republish it or sell the parts.
Printing a part at home for yourself is almost never a problem. The questions start when you want to sell prints at a craft fair or on Etsy, hand out copies at a club, upload your improved version or use the model in a monetised video. That is where the licence decides.
Creative Commons licences at a glance
Most free models on Printables, Thingiverse or MakerWorld use a Creative Commons licence. They are built from four conditions: BY (credit the creator), SA (share alike), NC (non-commercial) and ND (no derivatives).
| Licence | Credit the designer? | Sell prints? | Publish your modified version? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CC0 (public domain) | Not required | Yes | Yes, under any licence you like |
| CC BY | Yes | Yes | Yes, stating what you changed |
| CC BY-SA | Yes | Yes | Yes, but under CC BY-SA |
| CC BY-ND | Yes | Yes, of the unmodified model | No |
| CC BY-NC | Yes | No | Yes, non-commercially |
| CC BY-NC-SA | Yes | No | Yes, under CC BY-NC-SA |
| CC BY-NC-ND | Yes | No | No |
| All rights reserved | Yes | Only with the designer’s permission | Only with the designer’s permission |
CC0: public domain
The designer waives their rights as far as the law allows. You can print it, change it, split it, sell it and publish your version without crediting them, although doing so is still a nice touch. It is the easiest licence to work with if you plan to sell parts or build them into a product.
CC BY: attribution
You can do anything, selling included, on one condition: say who the designer is, link to the licence and note whether you changed it. Many designers choose it because they want their work to travel with their name attached.
CC BY-SA: attribution, share alike
Like CC BY, but if you publish a modified version (a remix, a variant with a different thread size, an adapted part) it must carry the same licence. Selling prints is allowed with credit; what you cannot do is lock your remix away as ‘all rights reserved’.
CC BY-ND: no derivatives
You may share and sell the model as it is, with credit, but not publish modified versions. Since version 4.0 you can adapt it for your own use: scaling it or splitting it to fit your bed does not publish anything. If you want to sell parts from a changed version, ask first.
CC BY-NC: non-commercial
It rules out uses ‘primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation’. Selling prints, charging to print them for others or using them to promote a business all fall squarely inside. Asking a friend to cover the filament is a grey area: if money changes hands, the sensible move is to message the designer, as many sell a separate commercial licence for very little.
How to credit the designer of a 3D model
Creative Commons recommends four details: title, author, source and licence, plus a note if you modified it. Here is an example with a real model licensed CC BY 4.0:
- ‘Ringosaurus’ by Asphalt3D, linking to the original listing.
- Licence CC BY 4.0, linking to the licence text.
- Changes: scaled to 80% and printed in PETG.
If you sell the part, put that line in the listing description or on a card that goes in with the order. In a video, in the description. Hiding it where nobody will see it does not count.
Platform licences and other licences
Besides Creative Commons, some model sites have licences of their own. MakerWorld’s standard licence, for instance, is meant for personal use, and some designers sell a separate commercial licence or membership to people who want to sell their parts. On parametric models (OpenSCAD ones, for example) you will also see software licences such as the GPL. If you cannot find any licence at all, treat it as ‘all rights reserved’.
Characters, brands and logos: what the licence does not cover
A designer can release their superhero figure under CC0, but they can only give away what is theirs: the modelling. The character still belongs to its owner, as does a football club’s crest or the shape of a famous car. Printing that figure for your shelf is one thing; selling it is quite another, and the file’s licence will not protect you there.
Functional parts can run into something similar, though less often: a bracket or adapter may copy a design protected by a patent or a registered design. If you plan to produce in quantity, check first.
What about models you create with AI?
With Text to 3D and Image to 3D you start from your own description or photo. Under usi3d’s terms, what you generate is yours as far as usi3d is concerned: you can use it for any lawful purpose, including printing and selling it, at no extra charge.
Two important caveats. Nobody can guarantee that an AI result is original or that it qualifies for copyright protection, and the law on this is still settling. And if you ask the AI for a famous character or feed it a photo of a commercial figure, the result has the same problem as any copy: before selling it, make sure it does not resemble someone else’s work.
Licences in the usi3d community
In the usi3d community every model shows its licence and you can filter by it. The usi3d Collection brings together freely licensed models by other designers (CC0, CC BY and CC BY-SA) that you can download and use under each one’s licence, with the designer credited on the CC BY and BY-SA ones.
If you publish a model of your own, you choose between CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC and ‘all rights reserved’, and confirm you have the rights to share it. Its image views, title and description are published; the 3D file is not, and only you can download it. And if you animate a model for a game, the skeletons and animations that come with it are CC0, as we explain in Animate 3D.
How to check the licence before printing to sell
Find the original listing
The designer’s own, not a site that has copied it. If the same model appears on several platforms under different licences, the one attached to the copy you downloaded applies, provided the designer published that copy.
Read the whole licence
Look for NC and ND and for any note from the designer: some allow selling prints even under an NC licence, others spell out that they do not.
Look for characters or brands
If the model reproduces a character, a logo or a well-known product, the file’s licence is not enough to sell it.
Keep your proof
A dated screenshot of the listing with its licence, and the file exactly as you downloaded it.
Prepare the credit line
Title, author, source, licence and changes, in the listing or on the order card. To set a price, read how much 3D printing costs or use the cost calculator.
This guide sums up how the most common licences work; it is not legal advice. If you are building a business on other people’s models, talk to a lawyer and, above all, talk to the designers: many appreciate being asked.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell prints of a CC BY licensed model?
Yes. CC BY allows commercial use as long as you credit the designer, link to the licence and say whether you modified it.
What does NC mean on a 3D model licence?
NC means non-commercial: you cannot sell the printed parts or use them to make money without separate permission from the designer.
Can I sell a CC0 model of a film character?
CC0 covers the designer’s modelling, not the character, which still belongs to its owner. To sell it you would also need their permission.
Who owns a 3D model created with AI?
It depends on the service’s terms. On usi3d, what you generate is yours as far as usi3d is concerned and you can sell it, but it is up to you to check it does not resemble someone else’s work.
What happens if the designer changes the licence of a model I already downloaded?
Creative Commons licences cannot be revoked: your copy keeps the licence it had when you downloaded it. Save a screenshot as proof.
Can I scale or split a model with an ND licence?
For your own use, yes: version 4.0 lets you adapt the model as long as you do not publish the modified version. To sell modified parts, ask the designer.