The VOD Reaction License Project

Welcome to the official repository for the VOD Reaction License project! This project provides a set of experimental, customizable license templates and accompanying guides designed for content creators (especially streamers on platforms like Twitch and YouTube) who wish to allow and encourage specific types of reuse of their VODs by their community.

The core goal of the VOD Reaction License model is to foster a more interactive, collaborative, and respectful community environment by:

• Clearly permitting certain VOD reuse, particularly for "reaction" style content.
• Ensuring proper attribution to the original creator (the Licensor).
• Enabling dialogue and engagement through a reciprocal grant-back clause (allowing the Licensor to reuse the community's creations under similar terms).
• Providing some control over where content is shared by specifying permitted platforms.

Typically, if this license model is not used, when the owner of a VOD wishes to allow others to create reaction videos using their content, they generally need to grant permission on a case-by-case basis. However, by applying the VOD Reaction License to their VODs, other streamers can create and publish reaction videos without needing to seek individual permission each time, as long as they comply with the license terms. Moreover, a distinctive feature of this license, the grant-back clause, enables the original VOD creator to respond to these community-made reaction videos by reacting to them in turn (e.g., creating a "reaction to a reaction" video). Unlike releasing VODs under broader licenses such as Creative Commons, derivative creation under this license is more restricted, typically extending the chain of licensed reuse under this specific agreement only as far as the original licensor’s "reaction to a reaction," and publication is restricted to platforms designated by the original streamer. This helps prevent the VOD from being diffused without limit.

This license model was originally conceived and drafted by Naoki Shibata. The drafting and refinement process for these templates and guides involved iterative conceptual exploration and textual assistance from Google's AI model, Gemini. The final structure, terms, and intent of this license model are those of Naoki Shibata.

Available Versions

This repository is organized by version. Each version directory contains the specific license template text, a guide for streamers wishing to adopt that version of the license template ("Adopter's Guide"), and a template for a user-friendly guide for their community members ("Licensee Guide"), along with a version-specific README.

Please choose the version that best suits your needs. For most current uses, the latest stable version is recommended.

• Version 0.2 (Stable Release)

  • Description: The latest stable release of the VOD Reaction License.
  • Access Version 0.2 Files and Documentation

• Version 0.1 (Previous Release)

  • Description: Initial stable release of the VOD Reaction License. This repository stores all previous release versions.
  • Access Version 0.1 Files and Documentation

• Version 0.3 (Work in Progress)

  • Description: This version is currently under development. Terms and documents may be unstable, incomplete, or subject to significant change. Use with caution or for testing and feedback purposes only.
  • Access Version 0.3 (WIP) Files and Documentation

How This Repository is Organized

• Each major version of the license and its associated documents is contained within its own directory (e.g., /v0.1/, /v0.2/).
• Inside each version directory, you will typically find:
  • VOD_REACTION_LICENSE.md: The customizable license template text for that version.
  • GUIDE_FOR_ADOPTERS.md: A guide for streamers who wish to adopt that version of the license template for their own VODs.
  • GUIDE_FOR_LICENSEES.md: A template for a user-friendly guide that adopting streamers can customize for their own community members.
  • README.md: A README specific to that version, detailing its features, changes (if any from previous versions), and status.

History

• Version 0.2 (Released 2025-05-25)

  • As a Permitted Platform, more than just Twitch and YouTube can now be added at the licensor's discretion.
  • Eligible VODs have been generalized.
  • The guide has been expanded.

• Version 0.1 (Released 2025-05-15)

  • The initial release of the VOD Reaction License.
  • The most significant feature of this license is that it has a grant-back clause. Traditional grantbacks focus on a one-way “return” of rights from the licensee to the licensor. In contrast, under this license, when the licensor exercises its returned rights, the licensor in turn has obligations to the licensee similar to the obligations of the licensee in the original licensing relationship. This differs from a traditional license in that it is seen as bi-directional/mutual.

Licensing of Repository Content

• License Template Texts (e.g., VOD_REACTION_LICENSE.md): The terms for distributing and modifying the "VOD Reaction License" template text itself are detailed within each specific version of the license template document (look for a section typically titled "Distribution and Modification of This License Document" or similar). These terms generally permit verbatim copying and allow modification only of designated placeholders if you wish to use the official "VOD Reaction License Version X.Y" name for your adapted license.
• Guide Documents and Other General Project Files: Unless otherwise specified, this top-level README.md, the Adopter's Guides, and the Licensee Guide templates within this repository are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-SA 4.0). You are free to share and adapt these specific guide documents for your own purposes, provided you adhere to the terms of the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Important Disclaimers (From Naoki Shibata, Project Originator)

• Experimental Model: The "VOD Reaction License" is an experimental, custom license model. Its legal effectiveness and community reception may vary.
• No Warranty: The license templates and associated guides in this repository are provided "AS-IS," without any warranty of any kind.
• Not Legal Advice: The information and documents provided here by Naoki Shibata do not constitute legal advice. You are solely responsible for your use and implementation of any license based on these templates. It is strongly recommended to consult with a qualified legal professional to ensure any license you adopt is suitable for your specific needs and legal context. The AI (Gemini) involved in assisting with drafting and refining these documents does not provide legal advice, and its outputs should always be reviewed for suitability and accuracy.

Feedback and Contributions to the Project

We welcome feedback on this VOD Reaction License model and its accompanying documentation. If you have suggestions for improvements, ideas for future versions, or questions, please use the Discussions tab in this GitHub repository to share your thoughts.