Thingiverse encourages users of its platform to apply for a Creative Commons license for submitted models. One of the public copyright licenses that permit the unrestricted dissemination of a work that would otherwise be protected by copyright is the Creative Commons license.  The Thingiverse website says, "In the spirit of preserving an open platform, all designs are encouraged to be released under a Creative Commons license, meaning that anybody can use or edit any design." Designers can, however, add additional restrictions to the Creative Commons license, including banning the selling of 3D prints created from digital models. Most Thingiverse designers have chosen to limit the use of their creations to non-commercial uses only. Non-commercial objects can be 3D printed for private use but cannot be sold. The licensing remains the same whether you paid for the file or downloaded it for free.