# AAAPS v1 (AAAP Specification) > **This repository is maintained primarily in Japanese.** > The Japanese-language version of this document ([v1/AAAPS-v1.md](../v1/AAAPS-v1.md)) is the authoritative text. This English document is a reference translation provided for international readers and is not guaranteed to be complete or fully up to date with the Japanese original. In case of any discrepancy, the Japanese text governs. This document sets out the terms of use / license clauses defined by the "#AAAP" project. For operational rules and the revision process, see GOVERNANCE.md (Japanese only). For background on why this project was created, see HISTORY.md (Japanese only). > **This license may be revised as needed, in light of future operational experience and professional (legal) advice.** Points that remain undecided as of this version are listed under "Open Issues" in GOVERNANCE.md (Japanese only). > **Scope of this document (v1)**: This v1 is a **creator-specific** version limited to the works of MOTOI Kenkichi (Gikoneko / 擬古猫). It is not a generic template. > > **Note on v2**: A separate generic template version ([v2/AAAPS-v2.md](../v2/AAAPS-v2.md), currently DRAFT) has been created by generalizing the practical experience of this v1, so that other creators may adopt a similar structure for their own works. For the relationship between v1 and v2, see the Japanese documents. ## Article 1 (Purpose) This specification was created based on lessons learned from the 2002 "Takara incident" and the 2005 "Nomaneko controversy" in Japan. Both incidents involved works of text-based art / ASCII art (AA) — nurtured as shared cultural property on the Japanese internet — that came close to being made the subject of exclusive rights claims (including trademark registration) by a specific company or organization. These were not isolated events, but examples of a structural risk that can recur. Based on this lesson, this specification aims to permanently guarantee free secondary use of the Covered Content (defined below), while preventing the shared parts of the community's culture from being enclosed by any single party. ## Article 2 (Covered Content and Scope of the Rights Claimed) 1. This specification covers the name "Gikoneko," derivative characters, illustrations, and merchandise designs created as Gikoneko, and related CGI source code, development images, and digital logs (collectively, the "Covered Content"). 2. MOTOI Kenkichi (Gikoneko) is not the original author of "Gikoneko-neko" (the base AA character) itself, from which the Covered Content originates. This specification does not assert the rights of that original author; it is limited to the scope that MOTOI Kenkichi has personally created and preserved. ## Article 3 (Freedom of Use) 1. Users may reproduce, adapt, modify, and otherwise make secondary use of the Covered Content on a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free basis. No prior permission or notice is required. 2. When engaging in commercial use, merchandising, or large-scale redistribution, please provide the credit described in Article 4. 3. This project and its community do not consent to, and object to, any attempt by a third party to obtain exclusive intellectual property rights (such as trademark registration or an exclusive copyright claim) over the Covered Content or its derivatives. However, this specification does not have the legal effect of prohibiting such filings by third parties; rather, it is intended to serve as supporting material demonstrating facts relevant to public recognition or prior use, for example in an opposition or invalidation proceeding against such a filing. ## Article 4 (Attribution) When using or modifying the Covered Content for redistribution or publication, please indicate, where reasonably possible, one or more of the following: * Name: Gikoneko (擬古猫) * Design: Designed by © 2005 MOTOYE Kenkichi（MOTOI Kenkichi） * System / development imagery: (C) 2012 ZANTEI TECHNOLOGY / ZANTEI STYLE * Social-media identifying tag: #AAAP ## Article 5 (Maintaining Copyleft) If you redistribute or publish a derivative work created by modifying Covered Content under this specification, it is strongly recommended (SHOULD) that you carry it forward under a license that likewise permits free modification and redistribution (copyleft). Open licenses such as Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL are treated as satisfying this recommendation. *Whether this Article should be a MUST (mandatory) or remain a SHOULD (recommended) requirement is an open issue. See GOVERNANCE.md (Japanese only) for details.* ## Article 6 (Relationship to CC BY-SA, etc.) This specification is designed with reference to the spirit of open licenses such as [Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en) and the [GFDL](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl-1.3.html), and with respect for ease of use alongside them. However, the formal legal relationship between this specification and CC BY-SA, etc. (including whether this specification could constitute an impermissible "additional restriction" under CC BY-SA) has not been conclusively determined as of this version, and remains an open issue to be revisited in light of professional advice. ## Article 7 (Reference Use and Use of the Project Names by Others) 1. This specification does not prevent other communities from consulting its structure and approach (publishing a license, governance rules, historical archive, and primary-source preservation as separate documents) as a reference when drafting their own rules or licenses. 2. The "Official Specification" of this project means the version published and maintained in the official GitHub repository (`aaaps`), as defined in GOVERNANCE.md (Japanese only). 3. Use of the names "AAAP" or "AAAPS" is not restricted as such. However, if a modified version of this document is distributed or operated under either name, it is not the Official Specification defined above, and this project makes no guarantee whatsoever as to its content, compatibility, or legitimacy. In particular, a version that substantially guts the anti-monopoly purpose set out in Article 3 does not match the content of the Official Specification and is accordingly not treated as the official specification. ## Article 8 (Provided As-Is; Disclaimer) 1. The Covered Content (in particular historical BBS logs, CGI source code, etc.) is provided "as-is," in principle without modification, as historical material reflecting the internet culture of its time. 2. MOTOI Kenkichi and the "#AAAP" project make no warranty regarding the operability or completeness of the data, and accept no liability for any trouble arising from its use. Use is at the user's own risk. --- Version: v1.1 Author: MOTOI Kenkichi (Gikoneko) Last updated: 2026-08-05 (links and notes updated; substantive content remains as of 2026-07-12)