C2100 knowledge may be studied, implemented, improved and shared under the applicable open licenses. Open licensing does not transfer the project’s canonical identity, trademarks, third-party rights or separately controlled creative works.
1. The C2100 Open Commons model
Civilization 2100 uses different licenses for different asset classes. This keeps the architecture broadly reusable while applying the right reciprocal or attribution model to documentation, software, hardware and data.
Architecture & Documentation
Original C2100 architecture, public documentation and original architecture diagrams are generally licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International, except where an asset states otherwise.
CivOS Software
CivOS core software is designated for GNU Affero General Public License v3 or later, subject to component-level review and third-party dependency licenses.
Open Hardware
Original C2100 hardware and engineering design sources designated for open-hardware release use the CERN Open Hardware Licence v2 — Strongly Reciprocal.
Original Public Data
Original public datasets may use CC BY 4.0 or CC0 1.0 on an asset-specific basis. The selected data license must always be stated explicitly.
2. What you may do
Use the open commons
- study and cite C2100 architecture;
- share openly licensed material;
- adapt and improve material under the applicable license;
- build implementations, services and research around the architecture;
- create independent forks and derivative implementations.
Preserve the commons
- provide required attribution;
- preserve applicable ShareAlike or reciprocal obligations;
- identify material changes and upstream provenance;
- preserve third-party notices and exclusions;
- state clearly whether a work is canonical, modified or independent.
3. What open licensing does not grant
The Civilization 2100 name, C2100 name, official logos, seals and designated certification marks are governed separately by the Trademark & Brand Usage Policy.
External papers, standards, data, photographs, icons, evidence and other third-party materials retain their original rights. Citation or inclusion does not relicense them.
Film, screenplay, character, cinematic, literary and other artistic assets are separate IP classes and are not automatically included in the C2100 Open Commons defaults.
4. Canonical vs. derivative works
Open licenses allow lawful reuse, but they do not allow a modified or independent work to present itself as an official Civilization 2100 release. Derivatives should identify the upstream C2100 source, the relevant version and material changes. “Canonical” is a governance and provenance designation — not a restriction on lawful open-license reuse.
5. How to reuse a C2100 asset
- Identify the asset.Check the document ID, version and canonical status.
- Read its rights notice.Use the asset-level license where one is stated.
- Check exceptions.Third-party material may have different rights.
- Preserve attribution and reciprocity.Follow the applicable license conditions.
- Describe your status truthfully.Do not imply C2100 endorsement, certification or canonical adoption.
6. Governing C2100 standards
7. Asset-level notices control
This page summarizes the project-wide model. The license or rights notice attached to a specific document, file, repository, dataset or release remains the primary operational reference for that asset. If a C2100 asset includes third-party material or a narrower asset-specific designation, that specific notice must be followed.
The objective is not to privatize Civilization 2100. It is to keep shared civilizational architecture open while ensuring that people can always tell what is original, what is modified, what rights apply, and what is genuinely official.
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