BipCot license logo

The BipCot NoGov License allows any use of software, media, products or services EXCEPT by governments. The BipCot NoGov License threatens no “government guns” for violators. It is not copyright-based, it is entirely shame-based.

—Download BipCot NoGov Software License v1.2 (for computer software)
—Download BipCot NoGov Media License v1.2 (for books, music, films, podcasts, products, services, etc.)

cool cat with BipCot mask

Andrew J Henderson social distancing in style with his BipCot NoGov mask. (Sorry, we have none left in stock.)

Some people also use the BipCot NoGov license to substitute for a government business license or license to conduct a particular type of business, marriage licenses, etc.

You’ll want to replace (website / game / product / food, service, etc) with whatever your thing being licensed is.

In a pinch, you can even just PRINT OUT THIS SIGN and hang it on the thing you want to license. That happens with a lot of vendors and their products each year at Porcfest. It’s the all-purpose short-form version, very visible from a distance, and perfect for public events where people aren’t going to bother to read the tiny legalese of the full license.

Print them two-up (half a letter-size sheet) and cut in half to make two licenses. Then each one is the same size as state licenses like liquor licenses and business licenses.

We invite others to use the license as they please. License is covered by the license itself, i.e. it is not for use by governments, and there are no warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Note: if the thing being licensed is a website or product in public (like the recipe for your cookies at a food kiosk, or the design of pipes in a headshop), you don’t have to print out the whole license. It is acceptable to simply use our blue BipCot Logo, and link our site, along with this text:

THIS (website / game / product / podcast, food, 3D model, service, etc.) COVERED BY A BipCot NoGov LICENSE. USE AND RE-USE BY ANYONE EXCEPT GOVERNMENTS OR THEIR AGENTS IS OK.

The BipCot NoGov License is THE BEASTLICK INTERNET POLICY COMMISSION Outreach Team 7-Clause No-Government license. It is a derivation of the BSD 3-Clause license with references to copyright removed, and these 4 additional clauses added:

— Governments, and agents and subcontractors of same, are not permitted to use this software or derivations of this software.

— If governments, agents and subcontractors of same use this software, or derivations of this software, all agencies and persons directly and knowingly involved may be shamed in public, by name, on the Internet, on radio, and in any media now extant or invented in the future, throughout the known universe and elsewhere, in perpetuity. Governments, agents and subcontractors of same that use this software, or derivations of this software, agree to endure this shaming, without comment or action.

— Any person or entity that violates any part of this agreement will also be shamed as above, and agrees to endure this shaming, without comment or action.

— The BipCot NoGov License uses the first 3 clauses of the 3-Clause BSD license (Berkeley Software Distribution license) and the BSD “as is” text at the end. The 3-Clause BSD license is in the Public Domain. However, there is no partnership or endorsement created or implied between the creators or users of The BipCot NoGov License and the creators or users of the BSD license, or vise versa

Therefore the full BipCot NoGov License reads as:

=-==-=-=BEGIN LICENSE-=-==-=-=-

The BipCot NoGov Media/Product/Service License (www.bipcot.org), version 1.2 / No warranty of usability of <NAME OF MEDIA / PRODUCT / SERVICE>. 

This original media/product/service was made by license holder <MEDIA/PRODUCT/SERVICE CREATOR(S) / COMPANY>, <YEAR>. All rights to make fun of you reserved. <URL>. 

Redistribution and use of Media/Product/Service in any form, commercial or non-commercial, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 

1. Redistributions in unaltered form must retain the entirety of this license, including retaining attribution of the license holder of the media/product/service. 

2. Redistributions in altered form must reproduce the entirety of this license, including retaining attribution of the license holder of the media/product/service. 

3. Neither the name of the license holder nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote media/products/services derived from this media/product/service without specific prior written permission. Furthermore, no attempt will be made to impersonate the person or entity whose media/product/service is being used or modified. 

4. Governments, and agents and subcontractors of same, are not permitted to use this media/product/service or derivations of this media/product/service. 

5. If governments, agents and subcontractors of same use this media/product/service, or derivations of this media/product/service, all agencies and persons directly and knowingly involved may be shamed in public, by name, on the Internet, on radio, and in any media now extant or invented in the future, throughout the known universe and elsewhere, in perpetuity. Governments, agents and subcontractors of same that use this media/product/service, or derivations of this media/product/service, agree to endure this shaming, without comment or action. 

6. Any person or entity that violates any part of this agreement will also be shamed as above, and agrees to endure this shaming, without comment or action. 

7. The BipCot NoGov Media/Product/Service License adopts the first 3 clauses of the 3-Clause BSD license (Berkeley Software Distribution license) and adopts the BSD "as is" text at the end. The 3-Clause BSD license is in the Public Domain. However, there is no partnership or endorsement created or implied between the media/product/service creators or any users of The BipCot NoGov Media License and the creators or users of the BSD license, or vise versa. 

8. This version allows for "LIBERTARIAN INDULGENCES." i.e. low-level government workers like mailmen and peaceful future Internet freedom hero contractors can use the thing that is licensed. But cops, goons, politicians, alphabet soup agency workers, etc, and anyone who carries a gun or orders the use of guns for the gub'mnint is still forbidden. 
(LICENSE HOLDER SHOULD REMOVE THIS PART, SECTION 8, TO REMOVE THIS OPTION.) 

9. This license only covers use of the media/product/service License itself. The license holder retains any royalties or publishing rights on usage of the software or media, where applicable. 


THIS MEDIA/PRODUCT/SERVICE IS PROVIDED BY THE LICENSE HOLDER AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LICENSE HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS MEDIA, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

=-==-=-=END LICENSE-=-==-=-=-