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License cheat sheet

Quick reference for assets you might list or use. Always re-check the source page — licenses change, packs can be dual-licensed, and marketplace “free” tiers often have extra terms.

Creative Commons & public domain

License Commercial use Attribution Notes
CC0 Yes Not required Safest default for closed-source games. Can embed in DRM builds.
CC-BY-4.0 Yes Required Credit the author; a credits-screen link to the source usually satisfies. Keep a notices file.
CC-BY-3.0 Yes Required Same commercial grant; some projects expect the author named (not only a site URL). Example: Game-Icons.net wants Icons made by {author}. Available on https://game-icons.net.
CC-BY-SA Yes Required Share-alike applies to derivatives of the asset, not your whole game as code. Prefer shipping SA assets in extractable bundles (.pck, loose folders) rather than encrypted into the binary.
CC-BY-NC No Required Fine for prototypes / jam games; reject for commercial catalogs unless clearly marked non-commercial.
CC-BY-ND Yes Required No derivatives — reject for games. Interactive sync / remix is generally treated as a derivative; ND music and art are unsafe.
ODbL (OpenStreetMap) Yes* Required Game binary is usually a “Produced Work” (code not copylefted). If you redistribute a modified geodatabase, ODbL share obligations can trigger. Credit OSM.

Fonts

License Commercial use Notes
SIL OFL Yes Preferred for games. Embedding in a binary is OK; redistributing the font files alone as a competing font product is not.
Desktop / “personal use” fonts Often no Common trap on free-font sites. Require explicit embedding / game use.

Custom / marketplace

License Commercial use Notes
Sonniss #GameAudioGDC Yes Royalty-free for games; typically no attribution. Standalone resale and AI/ML training usually prohibited — read current terms.
Unity / Fab / Unreal free assets Engine-specific Commercial use in-engine often OK; no standalone redistribution of raw .fbx/.png. Unity Companion License / Starter Assets: Unity-only; seat is typically one legal entity — contractors outside the org may need their own seats. On Fab, distinguish Standard License (research: multi-engine) vs Epic Content License (Unreal-locked). Always check the badge.
itch.io free packs Varies Check each pack page. Many are CC0 or custom commercial-ok. Free ≠ commercial — e.g. Sprout Lands free tier is non-commercial; paid tier is commercial.
FiveM / Cfx / GTA-format Almost never the game files GTA V extracts are not free assets. Original CC0 meshes may be re-exported if you hold those rights. See fivem.md.
LPC / OGA-BY / CC-BY-SA sprites Copyleft art Commercial OK with attribution + share-alike on asset derivatives; keep sheets external/extractable.
MakeHuman exports Special App source may be AGPL; official binary exports are commonly under a CC0 exception — verify the current exception page before shipping.
MB-Lab exports AGPL risk Treat generated meshes as unsafe for closed-source games — see high-risk.md.
FMOD Studio (indie) Custom Often free under revenue/funding caps — verify current thresholds.
Wwise free / evaluation Custom Often asset-count or non-commercial caps — verify before shipping.

Copyleft tools vs generated output

GPL/AGPL on an editor or generator (Tiled, Blockbench, Pixelorama, etc.) usually does not copyleft the PNG/glTF/WAV you export — unless the maintainer says otherwise. Catalog license on tools/ is the software license. Keep generated assets under whatever terms you assign; don’t ship the GPL editor source inside the game binary unless you mean to.

Provenance (license laundering)

A “CC0” badge on a random upload is not enough. Copyrighted content is sometimes re-uploaded to free directories under fake permissive labels. Prefer trusted suppliers, keep a paper trail, and see provenance.md.

Practical rules for this repo

  1. Prefer CC0 / public domain / OFL / clearly commercial-ok custom licenses.
  2. Prefer reputable creators over anonymous mega-dumps (see provenance guide).
  3. Mark attribution required and share-alike explicitly on every entry.
  4. Never treat “free download” as a license.
  5. When unsure, leave commercial: unknown and status: needs-review — do not guess.