Texture licenses decide whether you can ship a game, a client render, or a marketplace scene. This FAQ on texture licenses focuses on CC0 — the license Locker3d uses for its free PBR library — and how it differs from CC BY, royalty-free stock, and rights-managed sets. It is not legal advice; it is a practical checklist for albedo, normal, and roughness maps you actually download.

CC0 in one paragraph

CC0 is a public-domain dedication: the author waives copyright to the extent the law allows. You may use the files for any purpose, including commercial, and you do not have to ask or pay. You may modify maps, pack ORM channels, and redistribute them inside your project. You may not pretend you are the original author of the scans. Locker3d textures follow this model. A longer walkthrough is CC0 textures: what you can and cannot do.

CC0 versus CC BY, royalty-free, and rights-managed

  • CC0 — no credit required; commercial OK; redistribution OK; do not claim authorship.
  • CC BY — commercial OK, but you must give attribution in the form the author asks.
  • Royalty-free (RF) stock — usually a paid seat; you may use in products, but often cannot resell the maps as a texture pack.
  • Rights-managed — use is limited by media, territory, or time; read the invoice.

If a site does not state a license next to the download, do not assume CC0. Locker3d states CC0 on the library. Browse all textures or categories such as wood, concrete, metal, stone, and floor.

What you can do in games, film, and client work

With Locker3d CC0 maps you can:

  • Ship them in a paid game, film, or archviz still.
  • Bake them onto unique UVs, mix two woods, or recolor albedo (keep albedo sRGB; keep roughness and normal linear).
  • Include the files in a project archive you send to a client.
  • Use 1K–4K resolutions as needed; license does not change with resolution.

You still need rights to anything else in the shot: HDRIs, fonts, branded products, and music. PBR setup itself is covered in what PBR textures are and how to apply PBR textures in Blender.

What you cannot do

You cannot claim exclusive ownership of a CC0 scan or send a takedown against someone else using the same file. You cannot strip a CC BY credit from a different library and call that mix “all CC0.” You cannot use a photo of a copyrighted artwork or a trademarked product and call it CC0 just because you baked a normal map. If you upload derivatives to another site, say which maps came from Locker3d if you want to be clear — optional, not required.

Mixing licenses in one material

A common production material uses a CC0 concrete albedo, a paid tileable normal, and a custom roughness paint. The material as used in your game is fine if every source allows that use. Redistributing the material as a public texture pack may violate the paid library’s terms even though the CC0 albedo is free. Keep a spreadsheet: filename, source, license, commercial OK, redistribute OK. When in doubt, replace the restricted map with a Locker3d CC0 equivalent.

More license and workflow articles: the blog.

Frequently asked questions

Are Locker3d PBR textures CC0?

Yes. Locker3d publishes its texture library as CC0 (public domain dedication). You may use, modify, and include the maps in commercial games, films, and products without paying a fee or giving credit.

Do I need attribution for CC0 textures?

No. Attribution is optional. Credit is appreciated and helps other artists find the source, but it is not a legal requirement under CC0. You still cannot claim you created the original scans.

Can I mix CC0 maps with CC BY or paid textures?

Yes, but the strictest license wins for the combined asset. The CC0 part stays free to use; the CC BY or paid part may still require credit, a seat license, or a ban on redistribution as a standalone texture pack.