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CircleStone Labs 253

There's been questions about the license, so I figured I would explain things in detail. First, the primary goals of the license:

• allow for open-weights access to the model
• non-commercial use restriction on the model itself, so that I can make money by offering commercial licenses
• otherwise be minimally restrictive for end users' use of the model

I worked with a lawyer experienced in IP law to craft the license. To make this easy, we took Black Forest Labs' Flux License , and made modifications to it that simplify it, remove some restrictions, and add clarity in a few places.

Let's go through the terms of the CircleStone license. I will compare with the Flux license where there are differences.

1. Definitions

• These are almost identical to the Flux license. I removed parts about Content Filters. I added clarity that adapters such as LoRAs are Derivative Works.

2. License Grant

• You can't use the model itself for commercial purposes. Examples: hosting on a platform and charging for image generation, hosting behind a paid API, integrating the model directly into a paid product like a game.
• 2.d: you may use Outputs (generated images) for commercial purposes. Examples: using generated images for making art for a VN, making assets for a video game, making concept art for an anime series, making an advertisement. These are commercial uses of the Outputs, which are allowed. Only commercial use of the Model is restricted.
• The part about using Content Filters, or otherwise reviewing model outputs before publication, is removed. It is replaced with a more generic clause that essentially says "anyone using the model is responsible for complying with the law" (basically: don't sue me, the model creator, sue the platform that was allowing the model to be used unlawfully).

3. Distribution

• Clause 3.c is newly added. This clarifies that commercial licensees can also use Derivatives (e.g. loras). This is already something the Flux license grants BFL, just not spelled out as clearly. From the Flux license:
  • Section 2.b: "If you want to use a FLUX.1 [dev] Model or a Derivative for any purpose that is not expressly authorized under this License, such as for a commercial activity, you must request a license from Company"
  • Section 3.a "you must [...] specify that any rights to use the FLUX.1 [dev] Models and/or Derivatives shall be directly granted by Company to said third-party recipients"
  • Section 3.c: terms and conditions you impose on Derivatives may not conflict with the terms of the Flux License
• Taken together, these terms allow BFL to grant commercial use rights to Derivatives, and you may not prevent them from doing so.
• The CircleStone license is just more explicit about this, clarifying it in a single clause.
• Why do this? Just to make it clear that commercial licensees (think platforms like Civit, or Fal) can use loras in addition to the base model I provide.

4. Restrictions

• I removed parts about military or biometric use as they are not relevant.
• Removed parts about GDPR and similar laws as they don't apply to this model, because no data is being collected.
• The remaining restrictions essentially amount to "don't break the law".

Sections 5, 6, 7: parts about Content Filters are removed

8. Termination, survival

• I have removed section 8.b from the Flux license, which states: "We may terminate this License, in whole or in part, at any time upon notice (including electronic) to you."
• This is the "rugpull clause". It gives BFL the right to take down any Flux Derivative model arbitrarily.
• CircleStone Labs does not have this right. I cannot take down a derivative model so long as it is complying with the license (and again, this basically just means "don't break the law").

So in summary: the license is overall less restrictive than the Flux license. It has a non-commercial use restriction on the Model itself, but otherwise is intended to allow permissive use of the Model and Derivatives by end users. You can use Outputs (generated images) commercially. I can't take down a lora or other derivative just because I don't like it. What restrictions remain in the license essentially say that you must follow the law.