# Can I use CC BY-NC assets in a paid game?

**Short answer:** Not without the creator's permission. CC BY-NC (any version, including NC-SA and NC-ND) lets you use the work only for purposes not primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation, and selling a game is commercial use. Credit does not change that, and neither does using the asset in a small way. Your options: ask the creator for a separate commercial license (many will grant one, sometimes for a fee), swap in assets under CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC0 or a paid commercial license, or make or commission your own. If you plan to sell the game later, sort this out before release, not after.

## Checklist
1. List every third-party asset (art, sprites, music, sound effects, fonts, models, shaders) with its source page and license.
2. Flag anything with NC (NonCommercial) in its license: CC BY-NC, BY-NC-SA, BY-NC-ND, or a custom "free for non-commercial use" term.
3. Treat these as commercial: a game you sell, early access, paid DLC, a free game with ads or in-app purchases, crowdfunding rewards, and a game you make for a client.
4. For each NC asset: email the creator asking for a written commercial license that names your game and platforms, or replace the asset.
5. Good replacements: CC0 (no conditions), CC BY (credit required), CC BY-SA (credit, and adaptations of that asset carry the same license), or a store license that clearly allows commercial games.
6. Keep the credits screen accurate: CC BY assets need the title, author, source and license, and a note if you changed them.
7. Store the license text, source URL and any written permission for each asset with the build that ships it.

## What NonCommercial does and doesn't mean
- NC restricts the purpose of the use, not who you are: a solo developer or a nonprofit selling a game is still making commercial use.
- A free game with no ads and no purchases is the clearest non-commercial case, but whether a particular free release counts can depend on the facts; Creative Commons publishes guidance on how it interprets the term.
- The NC license still lets you use the asset in a free, non-commercial build, so you can prototype with it and replace it before you charge for anything.

## License checks (computed)
Yes means the license grants the use, on the duties listed. Duties such as source_disclosure, share_alike and network_source_offer are the ones that conflict with keeping a product closed-source.

- **CC BY-NC 4.0 art shipped in a game you sell, with credit: No.** [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) (`CC-BY-NC-4.0`) Duties: attribution, license_notice, state_changes, no_additional_restrictions. CC BY-NC 4.0 prohibits commercial_use.
- **CC BY 4.0 art, edited, shipped in a game you sell, with credit: Yes.** [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode) (`CC-BY-4.0`) Duties: attribution, license_notice, state_changes, no_additional_restrictions. Every use you described is granted by CC BY 4.0, and nothing you described is prohibited.
- **CC0 art, edited, shipped in a game you sell: Yes.** [Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode) (`CC0-1.0`) Every use you described is granted by CC0, and nothing you described is prohibited.

## Ask Rightshold (free, no key)
Add the MCP server https://www.rightshold.com/mcp to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, Grok or VS Code (one-click setup: https://www.rightshold.com/start?ref=answers), then ask: "My game's assets are under CC BY-NC 4.0, CC BY 4.0 and CC0. Which can ship in the paid release?"

```json
{
  "tool": "check_rights_batch",
  "arguments": {
    "items": [
      {
        "ref": "enemy-sprites",
        "license": "CC-BY-NC-4.0"
      },
      {
        "ref": "tileset",
        "license": "CC-BY-4.0"
      },
      {
        "ref": "sound-effects",
        "license": "CC0-1.0"
      }
    ],
    "intended_use": {
      "commercial_use": true,
      "redistribution": true,
      "attribution_planned": true
    }
  }
}
```
- attribution_string writes the credit line a CC BY asset asks for.
- Pass an asset's page as source_url (Wikimedia Commons, GitHub and other sources Rightshold reads) and it checks the license that page declares.

_Rightshold reads licenses and terms you point it at. It does not grant licenses or negotiate permissions with creators._

## Sources
- [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 legal code](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode.en)
- [Creative Commons: NonCommercial interpretation](https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/NonCommercial_interpretation)
- [Creative Commons: Recommended practices for attribution](https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Recommended_practices_for_attribution)
- [Creative Commons FAQ](https://creativecommons.org/faq/)

## Related
- [Can I use CC BY-NC 4.0 commercially?](https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-use-cc-by-nc-4-0-commercially)
- [Can I use CC BY-NC content in a commercial product?](https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-use-cc-by-nc-content-in-a-commercial-product)
- [Is CC BY-NC OK for YouTube?](https://www.rightshold.com/answers/is-cc-by-nc-ok-for-youtube)

_Not legal advice. Updated 2026-10-29. JSON: https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-use-cc-by-nc-assets-in-a-paid-game.json_