{
  "question": "Can I use CC BY-NC content in a commercial product?",
  "slug": "can-i-use-cc-by-nc-content-in-a-commercial-product",
  "url": "https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-use-cc-by-nc-content-in-a-commercial-product",
  "short_answer": "Use in a commercial product: No. Non-commercial adaptation and sharing: Yes.",
  "framing": "CC BY-NC 4.0 allows sharing and adapting only for purposes not primarily intended for commercial advantage.",
  "checks": [
    {
      "label": "Use in a commercial product",
      "license": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
      "license_name": "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International",
      "intended_use": {
        "commercial_use": true
      },
      "verdict": "prohibited",
      "answer": "No",
      "findings": [
        "CC BY-NC 4.0 prohibits commercial_use."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "attribution",
        "license_notice",
        "state_changes",
        "no_additional_restrictions"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode"
    },
    {
      "label": "Non-commercial adaptation and sharing",
      "license": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
      "license_name": "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International",
      "intended_use": {
        "modification": true,
        "redistribution": true
      },
      "verdict": "permitted",
      "answer": "Yes",
      "findings": [
        "Every use you described is granted by CC BY-NC 4.0, and nothing you described is prohibited."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "attribution",
        "license_notice",
        "state_changes",
        "no_additional_restrictions"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode"
    }
  ],
  "context": [
    "For commercial use you need a separate license from the rights holder; the NC license itself cannot grant it."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "CC BY-NC 4.0 legal code",
      "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode"
    }
  ],
  "check_it_yourself": {
    "mcp": {
      "tool": "check_license",
      "arguments": {
        "license": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
        "intended_use": {
          "commercial_use": true
        }
      }
    },
    "rest": "POST https://www.rightshold.com/v1/licenses/check"
  },
  "computed_from": "Rightshold license profiles at render time; not legal advice",
  "updated": "2026-10-23"
}