Liberating Structures Creative Commons License
We believe that the power of Liberating Structures comes from its "distributed" nature. Open to all, owned by none. We invite you to use, adapt, and share these structures — while respecting the collaborative spirit that makes them so powerful.
By using the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareALike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license, we ensure that:
The Work is Free to Use: You may use these structures for commercial or non-commercial purposes with clear attribution to the original work in the two books and website.
The Work is Free to Adapt: You are encouraged to remix, translate, and evolve these tools for your specific domain while preserving the stable foundation of each LS’s microstructural elements, icons and principles.
The Work Stays Open: Any "derivative" work you create must be shared back with the community under these same CC BY-SA 4.0 license terms. You agree to share a copy of your innovation on the LS Commons website once it is launched. In the meantime, feel free to email copies to us.
Rationale
We have updated our earlier CC BY-SA 4.0 license. We have dropped the NC (non-commercial) element of the previous CC License. It slowed down creative adaptation of LS materials and we trust the LS community to respect the attribution and share alike provisions of the license. It is important to note that materials created before June 2026 may hold difference CC licenses, including the NC requirement. Read Keith’s blog post about the license here.
While we celebrate endless innovation, a living system still requires a stable foundation. To maintain clarity across our global network, we identify core shared assets—the ten LS principles, the 43 LS icons, and the foundational step-by-step min specs for each of the 43 structures—remain constant and respected.
Think of these core assets as the unwavering DNA of LS, and your riffs as the beautiful, adaptive traits that help it thrive in new habitats. Together, under our shared Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License, we ensure that every breakthrough stays open and available for everyone, forever.
If you use, adapt or create new LS in your work:
Credit the Creators: Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless (original repertoire, 2013), and Keith McCandless and Nancy White (2026 Fieldbook).
Use the original icons: Please do not create your own for the current 43 structures. You can find the icons here.
Share: If you adapt or build on LS, share your adaptations under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 terms. Please add your materials to the upcoming LS Commons.
Create: You are encouraged to contribute new structures to the community. See “So You Want to Create a New Liberating Structure” for template and guidance.
Ways to Integrate CC license into Your Work
For Websites, Images & Other Digital Assets (Footer)
"This work includes content from www.liberatingstructures.com by Keith McCandless, Henri Lipmanowicz and Nancy White, and the Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0."
For Course Materials & Workbooks (Internal Page)
"The structures, illustrations, and icons used in this session are adapted under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 from the original work of by Keith McCandless, Henri Lipmanowicz and Nancy White found at www.liberatingstructures.com and the Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. We believe in open-source social innovation.
For Social Media (Caption)
"[LS icon] Proud to be part of the @LiberatingStructures community. Content based on the Liberating Structures website www.liberatingstructures.com and Fieldbook (2026]. CC BY-SA 4.0. #LiberatingStructures #OpenSourceInnovation"