# Live2D Cubism SDK Release License (Publication License Agreement) and Proprietary Software License Agreement

- id: src_01M569MJW7S978B6Z202AGAXQP
- type: source · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T07, T16 · tags: level:advanced, lang:en, kind:license-terms, task:rights-clearance, task:2d-rig-publication, ecosystem:live2d-cubism
- updated: 2026-10-18T01:22:22.714Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/sources/src_01M569MJW7S978B6Z202AGAXQP

Source: https://www.live2d.com/en/sdk/license

Canonical URL: trailing slash kept deliberately (the non-slash form redirects to it). Recorded as terms documentation, not as the SDK. Thresholds and tiers as stated; effective date is the agreement revision date 2025-02-03 (Version 2.1). Japanese licence page: https://www.live2d.com/sdk/license/ (title SDKリリースライセンス（出版許諾契約）).

```json
{
  "archived": null,
  "revision": {
    "ref": "Proprietary Software License Agreement Version 2.1, Revised February 3rd, 2025; the SDK licence page itself shows no date (footer 2010-2026)",
    "pinned": true,
    "source_url": "https://www.live2d.com/eula/live2d-proprietary-software-license-agreement_en.html"
  },
  "checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00.000Z",
  "parent_url": null,
  "usefulness": "Live2D Inc.'s terms for publishing content that uses the Cubism SDK: a publication licence agreement and fee are needed for business operators, with individuals and small-scale enterprises (latest sales under 10 million yen) exempted except for Expandable Applications such as avatar systems; middle-scale is 10 to under 100 million yen, large-scale 100 million yen or more. The tiers decide whether a Live2D-rigged avatar or app can be released without a contract.",
  "source_type": "documentation",
  "availability": "available",
  "dependencies": [],
  "source_owner": "Live2D Inc. (Japan)",
  "next_check_at": "2026-10-24T00:00:00.000Z",
  "successor_url": null,
  "hardware_notes": null,
  "known_limitations": [
    "The SDK licence page does not define the small-scale threshold; it is in the Proprietary Software License Agreement (Section 1.22) and a help page (dated 2019/06/21), so thresholds come from three pages that were checked separately.",
    "A 20 million yen annual-sales trigger appears for VTuber tracking software; it is a product-specific rule and conflicts at first glance with the 10 million yen definition.",
    "The English agreement says Japanese text prevails in interpretation; the Japanese page and agreement were not compared line by line.",
    "Agreement sections about Expandable Applications and fee amounts beyond the tier names were not read; fee amounts are on separate plan pages.",
    "Cubism SDK components may be under separate licences (Open Software licence for samples, proprietary Core); the SDK about page lists both agreements but does not map them to files."
  ],
  "upstream_updated_at": null
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] The SDK Release License page says a licence agreement is required for business entities publishing content using the Live2D SDK, while individuals and small-scale enterprises are exempted from licence and payment except for Expandable Applications. · locator: SDK Release License page · source: https://www.live2d.com/en/sdk/license/
- [sourced_fact] Expandable Application means any work having significant expandability among services or content utilising SDK products. · locator: SDK Release License page, definition · source: https://www.live2d.com/en/sdk/license/
- [sourced_fact] Small-Scale Enterprises are those with Latest Sales of less than 10 million yen; Middle-Scale are 10 million yen or more and less than 100 million yen; Large-Scale are 100 million yen or more. · locator: Proprietary Software License Agreement Version 2.1, Sections 1.22-1.24 · source: https://www.live2d.com/eula/live2d-proprietary-software-license-agreement_en.html
- [sourced_fact] The help page states a contract is required to publish content using a Live2D Cubism SDK, with the exemption for content by small-scale enterprises and general users below 10 million annual sales and excluding Expandable Applications such as avatar systems. · locator: help.live2d.com sdk_001 (page dated 2019/06/21) · source: https://help.live2d.com/en/sdk/sdk_001/
- [sourced_fact] A separate threshold appears for VTuber tracking software: a publication licence and fee are needed when annual sales exceed 20 million JPY. · locator: SDK Release License page, VTuber tracking software notice · source: https://www.live2d.com/en/sdk/license/
- [upstream_claim] Research review verdict at export: reviewed (as of 2026-10-17). Recorded by the research pipeline, not a hub review outcome; evidence.review stays unreviewed until an independent reviewer records one.

Rights:
- other: license=LicenseRef-Live2D-Proprietary-Software-License-2.1 hosting=unknown redistribution=unknown modification=unknown training=unknown · Agreement governing the Cubism SDK components and the publication-licence regime: small-scale (latest sales under 10 million yen) enterprises and general users may be exempted from entering a publication licence agreement; middle (10M to under 100M yen) and large (100M yen or more) tiers set fees; Expandable Applications are excluded from the exemption. Redistribution and modification rights of SDK files were not read. · evidence: https://www.live2d.com/eula/live2d-proprietary-software-license-agreement_en.html, https://www.live2d.com/en/sdk/license/
- other: license=LicenseRef-Live2D-Proprietary-Software-License-2.1 hosting=not_applicable redistribution=not_applicable modification=not_applicable training=unknown · outputs: content (apps, games, avatars) published with the SDK needs a publication licence agreement unless the publisher is exempt (individual or small-scale, excluding Expandable Applications); no licence is needed during trial or development, only on release. AI training is not addressed. · evidence: https://www.live2d.com/en/sdk/license/, https://help.live2d.com/en/sdk/sdk_001/

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