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Parachute Commons License 1.0

A tiered permissions framework that deploys protection as it gets closer to the ground.

Summary

The content, data, and code published by Occupant are released under the Parachute Commons License (PCL) v1.0, established June 2025. This is a social compact and community standard first, and a legal framework second.

For most users: You can freely use, modify, and share this work for personal, educational, and non-commercial purposes. Just maintain attribution and include the license notice.

For commercial use: Restrictions apply based on scale, automation, and organizational size. Express written permission required for commercial deployment.

Core Permissions

This license grants broad rights for personal, educational, and non-commercial purposes, including:

  • Use and modification of the work
  • Distribution and private deployment
  • Creation of derivative works

Standard Conditions

  • Maintain attribution to original authors
  • Include license notice in derivatives
  • Preserve source links where feasible

Adaptive Restrictions (Phase 1)

Commercial activities trigger restrictions when:

  • Commercial scope exceeds personal use
  • Work integrates into automated systems
  • Organizations exceed 50 employees
  • Bulk extraction occurs

Phase 1 requires EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION for commercial deployment and mandates specific attribution language.

Adaptive Restrictions (Phase 2)

Severe misuse triggers comprehensive prohibition except by explicit authorization:

  • Surveillance systems
  • Impersonation
  • Willful attribution violations
  • Demonstrated public harm
  • Continued use after objection

Enforcement Mechanism

This framework relies on community reporting, good-faith compliance, copyright holder reviews, and cultural enforcement rather than purely legal mechanisms.

License Evolution

Users can gain expanded rights through:

  • Written permission for specific use cases
  • Perpetual attribution agreements
  • Fair compensation for commercial use
  • Contributing improvements back to the commons

Commercial Use

If you're interested in commercial use of Occupant data or indices, contact us to discuss licensing terms.

Full License Text

The complete Parachute Commons License 1.0 legal text is available at statecapacity.ai/guides/commons-license/full-text/