Creator Terms

Last updated: November 2026

These Creator Terms apply when you upload models to CommunityCAD or receive donations. They add to the Terms of Service; if the two conflict, the Terms of Service apply. A plain-language guide is in the docs: Uploading, Choosing a license and Donations.

1. Your work stays yours#

You keep ownership of everything you upload. CommunityCAD doesn't buy, own or claim your designs.

2. What you allow#

  • CommunityCAD gets the license in section 3.2 of the Terms: to host, display and distribute your models, make previews and conversions (such as renders and STL exports), index them for search, and feature them when promoting the Service, always credited to you.
  • Other users get the license you choose at upload (or in your LICENSE file). If you choose no license, other users may only download and make your model for their own personal, non-commercial use (Terms section 4).
  • A license you grant can't be taken back for copies already downloaded. If you delete a model or change its license, people who already have it keep the rights they received. Choose your license with that in mind.

3. Your responsibilities#

When you upload, you confirm that:

  • you have the right to share it and to license it as you chose, including any parts made by others, whose licenses and credit requirements you follow;
  • it doesn't infringe anyone's patents, copyrights, trademarks or other rights, and isn't confidential information you're not allowed to share;
  • it follows the Community Guidelines, and it's marked 18+ if it's adult content, a firearm or firearm part, or graphic content (Terms section 3.5);
  • your description is honest: what the model is, what it's for, how it was tested, and any known limitations;
  • it contains no malware or anything designed to damage computers, printers or machines;
  • for machine files (G-code and similar), you say which machine, material and settings they were made for, and you warn about any hazards you know of. Where a part is load-bearing, safety-related or electrical, say so.

We don't check uploads, but we act on reports. We may remove models that break these terms.

4. Accuracy#

Ratings, comments and print profiles from other users are their own views. We don't edit them to favour or disfavour creators, except to remove content that breaks the rules. Please don't rate your own models or ask others to rate dishonestly.

5. Imported models and claiming#

Some models were imported from public GitHub repositories under their published licenses and credited to their authors. If you're the author, you can claim them by signing in with the matching GitHub account. Claimed models become yours, under these Creator Terms; the credit and source link stay. If you'd rather an imported model weren't on CommunityCAD, email contact@communitycad.dev and we'll remove it.

6. Sourcing#

Each model has a sourcing choice, which you make when you upload or link a repo and can change at any time:

  • Let CommunityCAD add sources. We find products for the parts your model uses and list them on its Sourcing tab with our Amazon affiliate links. CommunityCAD keeps any commission; it supports the platform. Your model and profile show a "Supports CommunityCAD" badge. This choice doesn't give you any membership tier, payment or share of commissions.
  • Add your own sources. We show your links exactly as you enter them and never add our tag. You're responsible for what you link to, under the Terms and Community Guidelines.
  • No sourcing. The model has no Sourcing tab.

Models imported from public sources never get affiliate links until their author claims them and chooses.

7. Donations#

Setting up#

  • To receive donations, you connect a Stripe account through your profile. Your account is a Stripe Standard account in your name. Stripe's Connected Account Agreement and Stripe's requirements (including identity checks and supported countries) apply, and Stripe may refuse or close an account.
  • There's no minimum number of models to receive donations.

Fees and what you receive#

  • Donors choose an amount (at least $3, in US dollars). They pay that amount, plus a platform fee (the greater of $0.50 or 5% of the donation) and card processing to cover Stripe's fee. The donor sees all three before paying.
  • You receive the full donation amount the donor chose. CommunityCAD keeps the platform fee. Card processing pays Stripe.
  • We may change the platform fee with 30 days' notice. Changes don't affect monthly donations that are already running.

Payouts and taxes#

  • Payouts go directly from Stripe to your bank on your Stripe account's schedule. CommunityCAD doesn't hold your money.
  • You're responsible for any taxes on what you receive, and for reporting it. Stripe may issue tax forms.

Refunds and disputes#

  • Donations are final and non-refundable. In rare cases (fraud, a processing fault, or a card dispute the donor wins with their bank) a donation may be refunded or reversed through Stripe, and the amount is then taken back from your Stripe balance under Stripe's rules.
  • CommunityCAD doesn't hold or move your money: refunds, reversals and disputes all happen in Stripe, between Stripe, you and the donor's bank.

What donations aren't#

A donation is a gift. It doesn't buy anything from you, and you don't owe donors any product, service, support or rights in return, unless you choose to offer them yourself. Don't promise rewards you won't deliver, and don't use donations for fundraising that's illegal or misleading.

Stopping#

You can disconnect your Stripe account at any time from your profile. The Donate button then turns off. We may switch off donations for an account that breaks these terms or the Terms of Service.

8. Removing your models#

You can delete your models at any time, which removes them from CommunityCAD (see Terms section 3.2 for backups and copies already downloaded). We may remove models in response to a valid copyright notice (DMCA policy) or that break these terms; we'll let you know when we do.

9. Contact#

contact@communitycad.dev