Reading the terms of BOOTH assets: VN3 License and common Japanese terms
Written by VRC Free Watch · Last updated
Free does not mean unrestricted. A plain-language explanation of the terms formats common on VRChat assets on BOOTH, such as the VN3 License, and of Japanese terms like 改変, 再配布, 商用利用 and クレジット表記, so you can tell whether your use is allowed.
Free assets have terms too
Every BOOTH asset, paid or free, comes with conditions set by its creator. ¥0 is a price, not a license. Common misunderstandings: "it's free, so I can sell it inside my own paid product", "it's free, so I can share it with friends", "it isn't mentioned, so it's allowed". Most creators mean the opposite: if something isn't clearly allowed, don't do it.
What the VN3 License is
Many Japanese VRChat assets use a standardized terms template called the VN3 License (VN3ライセンス). It lays out common situations as a table and marks each one allowed (○), not allowed (×) or ask first (要相談), filled in by the creator. Because the format is shared, once you've read one, other creators' terms go much faster.
The table typically covers who may use it (individuals, companies), use in streams and videos, use in sexual or violent content, use in political or religious activity, modification, distribution of modified data, commercial use, and whether credit is required. Items can differ slightly between versions, so the copy that comes with the item is what counts.
Common Japanese terms in plain words
改変可 / 改変OK: you may modify the data, e.g. recolor or reshape it. 改変不可: use it only as is.
再配布禁止 (no redistribution): you may not give the original or lightly modified files to anyone, including sharing for free, uploading to a drive, or bundling them in your own product. Almost every asset has this.
改変物の配布 (distributing modified versions): whether your edited result may be shared. Even when modification is allowed, distributing the result is usually forbidden, or allowed only to people who also own the original.
商用利用 (commercial use): use in anything that earns money, such as paid streams, commissions or selling works. 法人利用: use by a company or organization.
クレジット表記 (credit): naming the creator. 不要 means not required; 必要 means required in your description or work.
要相談: contact the creator first.
Situations where people slip up
Putting a free texture into an outfit you sell: that is redistribution, forbidden by almost all terms. Fixing an outfit for a friend and sending them the files: even if they also claimed the original, it depends on the terms for distributing modified versions. Using a free avatar or outfit in a paid event or commission: check the commercial-use line. Taking a VRChat asset into another game or a 3D print: many terms restrict platform or purpose, so ask about anything not covered.
When the terms are unclear
Read the terms file that comes with the item first, then the product page. If it is still unclear, ask the creator through BOOTH messages or their public social account, explaining how you plan to use it, and keep a screenshot of the reply.
Keep the terms you received together with the asset files. Creators sometimes update their terms, and the old version shows what was agreed at the time.
How to read VRC Free Watch's license hints
We look for keywords such as 商用不可 (no commercial use), 再配布禁止 (no redistribution) and クレジット表記 (credit) in a product page's text and show them as hints on the item page. These are text-based reminders: they can miss terms written in images or in the bundled files, and they are not legal advice. Treat them as a nudge to read the terms, not as the terms.
General information, not legal advice; follow the creator's instructions and VRChat's official documentation. Not affiliated with BOOTH, pixiv Inc. or VRChat Inc.