Commons Collective

Commons Labour License (CLL-1.0)

1. Definitions

1.1. “Work” means any creative, intellectual, technical, or material output covered under this license, including data, text, software, design, research, art, or documentation.

1.2. “Contributor” means any individual or collective who has contributed voluntary, cooperative, or solidarity-based labour without wage-based compensation.

1.3. “Commons-Aligned Entity” means any person, cooperative, non-profit, educational, civic, or public-interest organization acting without extractive or exploitative intent.

1.4. “Capitalist Entity” means any organization or individual operating primarily for profit through shareholder returns, rent extraction, or wage-labour exploitation.

1.5. “Reciprocity” means fair contribution to the collective (not less than 5% of gross benefit) through monetary return, labour, infrastructure, or in-kind contributions.

1.6. “Commons Steward” means the designated body responsible for coordinating reciprocity, mediation, and compliance.

2. Grant of Rights

Commons-Aligned Entities are granted a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute the Work for educational, civic, cooperative, or non-profit purposes, subject to reciprocity and attribution requirements.

3. Reciprocity and Commercial Use

3.1. Any entity deriving commercial or proprietary benefit must:

Publicly disclose the nature of use;
Provide reciprocity as defined in 1.5;
Release derivative works under this same license.

3.2. Capitalist Entities may not use the Work without:

Written consent from the Commons Steward, and
A signed Commons Reciprocity Agreement.

3.3. Failure to comply constitutes a material breach.

4. Attribution

You must credit Contributors and include the notice:

“This work includes voluntary labour contributed to the commons and is licensed under the Commons Labour License (CLL-1.0). Free for commons-aligned use. Commercial or extractive use requires reciprocity with the contributing collective.”

5. Ethical and Ecological Use

The Work may not be used for harm to human rights, communities, or ecosystems. Prohibited uses include:

Military or surveillance technologies;
Predatory financial systems;
Environmental exploitation;
Discriminatory or oppressive applications.

6. Commons Stewardship

Contributors may appoint Commons Collective as Steward to coordinate reciprocity, manage redistribution, and mediate disputes. If no steward is designated, contributions go to a recognized Commons Trust.

7. Termination

Violation of Sections 3, 4, or 5 terminates the license. Rights cease immediately until written consent from the Steward is granted after curing breaches.

8. Mediation and Jurisdiction

Disputes must undergo Commons Mediation. If unresolved in 60 days, they proceed to binding arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (India) or equivalent.

9. Limitation of Liability

The Work is provided “as is,” without warranty. Contributors and Stewards are not liable for any damages arising from use.

10. Versioning and Updates

This is Version 1.0. Future versions may be issued by Commons Collective and must uphold principles of protecting commons labour, reciprocity, anti-exploitation, and ecological responsibility.

11. Miscellaneous

Interpretation should uphold the intent of preserving commons labour. Modifications require written agreement. Moral rights remain unaffected.

Example Attribution Notice

© 2025 [Your Collective Name] & Contributors Licensed under the Commons Labour License (CLL-1.0). Free for commons-aligned use. Commercial or extractive use requires reciprocity and steward consent. Full license text: https://commonscollective.cc/CLL-1.0