Can I sell objects from models with Royalty Free, Custom or Editorial licenses?

Discussion started by sandra-pneuma

Hi!

I am new to 3D printing and would like to know if free downloaded models can be used for selling after I print them at home.

My question is for free 3D printing models with Royalty Free License, Custom License, and Editorial License. I did read the information provided on these licenses but am still not clear.

Thanks,

Sandra

Answers

Posted over 6 years ago
1

Assuming that you're talking about printing and selling physical item, the answer would be yes for royalty free and no for editorial licences. Regarding custom licence, it can vary from case to case - you should read particular licence text to know the answer.

Be aware that you can't resell or distribute in any other way, digital files obtained under any of those three licences.

sandra-pneuma wrote
Thank you so much for your prompt and clear answer. My interest is in the possibility of selling 3D printed objects. I do understand that the files cannot be sold or distributed. Again, thank you very much.
Posted over 6 years ago
1

Probably no one on this forum has the legal power to make valid interpretations of international copyright laws and the uses you are mentioning (other then the original author).

My personal logic is, if the license specifically allows reselling copy’s of one’s work without need for a percentage of royalty per copy made, then probaly no problem.

In other case, the original author could make arguments in court if he did not make any mention of this type of use and finds out someone is selling copy’s of his work without his permissions.

You better hope he cannot find evidence of the copy’s made/sold in that case.

In cases of disputes with an original author only a judge can decide hoe is on the right side of things.
Remember, every artistic creation is protected by default by international copyright law.

I would say contact the original author and ask for written permissions, that would probably be only way to be absolutely safe.

sandra-pneuma wrote
Thank you very much for these important thoughts and ideas concerning this topic.
Posted over 6 years ago
-2

CGT Royalty Free License (No-one reads these things obviously)

21.2. The Buyer’s license to Product in this paragraph is strictly limited to Incorporated Product. Any use or republication, including sale or distribution of Product that is not Incorporated Product is strictly prohibited. For illustration, approved distribution or use of Product as Incorporated Product includes, but is not limited to:
...
- as part of a physical object such as a toy, doll, or model.

21.6. The resale or redistribution by the Buyer of any Product, obtained from the Site is expressly prohibited unless it is an Incorporated Product as licensed above.

nur00 wrote
I did read it. I dont understand it. I'm unclear what rights I have and dont have as a buyer - we need some example here, or a "for dummies version"
Posted over 6 years ago
1

@IndieArt, from artist perspective it all seems obviously but you would be amazed with how much different interpretations people can come up with reading this sort of text. Most artists understand that a 3D product needs to be part of some form of production (value added), be part of some bigger product (incorporated).

But read this text you can find next to 3D print models, “Royalty Free License allows you to use the product without the need to pay royalties or other license fees for multiple uses, per volume sold, or some time period of use or sales. Products published with this license may not be sold, given, or assigned to another person or entity in the form it is downloaded from the site, but can be used in your commercial projects multiple times after paying for it just once.
This is, however, a non-exclusive license and the product remains the property of a seller for further distribution. Please, refer to legally binding General Terms and Conditions to learn more about Royalty Free License, other types of licenses and general rules applicable to all products.”

That actually seems to imply its ok to sell 3D prints (no need for royalties per volume sold, or some time period of use or sales), but not sell the product as downloaded from site (the 3D files).

To me it looks like the 3D print needs to be part of some project/bigger product (for example propellers of a quadcopter or something) and its not allowed to sell a design/copy strait from 3D printed files, for example a figure of darth vader.

So you could say a 3D print is a part that can be incorporated and get to be a new product for sales, but a 3d print can also have a design that is protected and have a need for royalties per printed copy sold.

Posted over 4 years ago
0

I came here to find answers and I'm still confused. Need a dumbed down non lawyer explanation of these license's. With common use examples.

Posted about 1 year ago
0

I am stumped too. The royalty-free license next to a 3D file says you can sell what you have printed. But if you go into the TOS it says you cannot. CGTrader needs to clarify this and make the licenses easily understandable to everyone involved.

Posted 12 months ago
-1

Well how I understand it is royalty free means that you don't have to pay the seller a royalty for using the model in your own project and if it's reproduced then no money needs to be paid to the creator..if the files were not royalty free then every copy that was sold you would need to pay the owner a royalty..think of it like images in a book if those images were not royalty free then every time the book and the image was sold a royalty for that image needs to be paid to the artist who created It

This has nothing to do with copyright so if you paid for a royalty free stl file of mario for example you still can't reproduce and sell it commercial because the trademark for that would be owned by Nintendo.. however if you download a royalty free stl of something that was in the public domain then you can do with it what you want

CG TRADER Licenses are not very clear I agree on other sites it states multiple licence specifics of what you can or can't do with a file this is because most of the stuff for sale here are 3d files to be used in 3d environments and projects that may or may not be sold..So you can download a stl.obj.fbx file of an apple and use it in your project no problem even if that project is being sold or used in a video game or artwork. That's why royalty free is important as if it wasn't royalty free and you used a model in a video game every copy of that video game sold you would need to pay the creator of the apple in the game a royalty

In theory even creating and selling an stl file of a trademarked item breaches copyright on its own. So a seller of an stl can't really say that you can or can't use it commercial anyway as it won't be his problem if your caught selling a trademarked item.

So basically anything on this site royalty free you can do with it as you want but just be careful that the item/character/person does not have a trademark connected to it..

Posted 12 months ago
0

@palmer187, for clarification, royalty free license does not imply you can do what you want.

It provides limited rights to some uses as described in the license and it certainly excludes reselling, redistributing, copying, etc.

Note the License is “non exclusive”, that means all rights remain to the artists.
Also note the license is clear that selling 3D printed copy’s is not allowed.

(section 21. Royalty Free License)
21.1. Product may not be sold, given, or assigned to another person or entity in the form it is downloaded from the Site or in 3D printed physical form. Product may not be used to create visual content, such as scenes, videos, or designs, which are published or sold through other stock media clearinghouses, unless it meets Incorporated Product criteria and it does not play a key role in the visual content.

Posted 12 months ago
0

Hello, what about the situation, when I download an stl of let's say hands or head with royalty free license, then attached it to a body 100% sculpt by me, so the downloaded stl's are something like 1/5 of the entire new model, can I then sell it on internet?

LemonadeCG wrote
LemonadeCG
You can't sell 3D model, but you are allowed to sell copies of 3D printed physical model.
Posted 12 months ago
0

Thanks for respond, what about the exact same situation, but with a model with Creative Commons license and 0 attribution ? is it OK to use it like that?

LemonadeCG wrote
LemonadeCG
If you mean CC0, i.e. public domain license, then the answer is yes, you're allowed to resell a model which consists parts from CC0 licensed works.
Posted 12 months ago
0

Cool, great, I just found a free blender assets set of a basic human hands and heads with a CC0 license

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