Copyright 2023 Liesl Clark & Rebecca Rockefeller, The Buy Nothing Project. All rights reserved. Each Buy Nothing private group may use the information on this page per the directions below, but the content cannot otherwise be copied, distributed, or edited without permission from the Buy Nothing Project.
If you'd like to build a Buy Nothing group for your community, contact us here and we'll get you set up.
Become a Buy Nothing Local Variation
How to Change Your Private Group's Description & Rules
The Buy Nothing Project is happy to license our foundational resources to Buy Nothing private groups around the world. Many groups use these documents exactly as they are, while others like to add new rules or best practices to serve their own local communities in specific new ways.
We call these private groups Local Variations, and we're excited to see Buy Nothing come to life in a wide variety of ways that align with the Buy Nothing mission. This page walks you through the process to become a Local Variation Private Group.
If you have any questions, contact the Buy Nothing Help Team.
We call these private groups Local Variations, and we're excited to see Buy Nothing come to life in a wide variety of ways that align with the Buy Nothing mission. This page walks you through the process to become a Local Variation Private Group.
If you have any questions, contact the Buy Nothing Help Team.
A Little Bit About Copyrights
click this headline with a dashed underline here to open this section up, to read the full text
We've experimented with various approaches to providing our materials to Buy Nothing communities over the past decade, always working towards a simple system that balances fulfillment of the Buy Nothing mission and values with local flexibility to serve the wide variety of people and cultures participating in Buy Nothing around the world.
Our current system provides Buy Nothing materials that use a traditional copyright. This means we grant you use of our materials as they are, for noncommercial use by your local Buy Nothing private group. Our wording needs to stay as it is, without any deletions or edits. This provides your group a couple of important benefits: you'll always have access to the most current Buy Nothing resources, and you'll be compliant with copyright law (which means your group won't be targeted by your host platform ie Facebook).
Our older system licensed our documents to private groups using noncommercial-use-only Creative Commons Licenses. This system has proven to be confusing and complicated for people who wanted to create Local Variations. Unfortunately many groups are using our documents in ways that don't comply with the Creative Commons License rules, which means they're also out of compliance with copyright law and are therefore vulnerable to enforcement action from Facebook. You can check your group's documents using this page if you're concerned about this. We want your group to continue on for years, so please let us know if we can help get your resources updated!
We have never allowed have commercial use of our name or materials. This means that you can use our materials to create your own Local Variation group for your own community, using your own words for the new information and rules you're adding. You cannot link to any other entity, website, business, brand, or organization. If you would like to join forces with Buy Nothing in a partnership that connects your entity, website, business, brand, or organization, contact us. This sort of commercial partnership is its own thing and is not allowed without our explicit permission.
Our current system provides Buy Nothing materials that use a traditional copyright. This means we grant you use of our materials as they are, for noncommercial use by your local Buy Nothing private group. Our wording needs to stay as it is, without any deletions or edits. This provides your group a couple of important benefits: you'll always have access to the most current Buy Nothing resources, and you'll be compliant with copyright law (which means your group won't be targeted by your host platform ie Facebook).
Our older system licensed our documents to private groups using noncommercial-use-only Creative Commons Licenses. This system has proven to be confusing and complicated for people who wanted to create Local Variations. Unfortunately many groups are using our documents in ways that don't comply with the Creative Commons License rules, which means they're also out of compliance with copyright law and are therefore vulnerable to enforcement action from Facebook. You can check your group's documents using this page if you're concerned about this. We want your group to continue on for years, so please let us know if we can help get your resources updated!
We have never allowed have commercial use of our name or materials. This means that you can use our materials to create your own Local Variation group for your own community, using your own words for the new information and rules you're adding. You cannot link to any other entity, website, business, brand, or organization. If you would like to join forces with Buy Nothing in a partnership that connects your entity, website, business, brand, or organization, contact us. This sort of commercial partnership is its own thing and is not allowed without our explicit permission.
Become a Local Variation
Follow These Steps:
- 1Update Your Group's Documents if NecessaryClick here to check your group's documents. Click here if your group is due for an update.
- 2Add Your Own Unique Group Description Information & AttributionDoes your group need more information than what's included in our Global Standard Group Description? Are you adding new unique Group Rules? Then you want to become a Local Variation Group. Simply write up whatever else you need your community to know about your private Buy Nothing group, using your own words.
If you're adding unique new Group Rules, you don't need to explain them in the description area, but you do need to let people know that your group has unique rules that can be found in the Group Rules section. It's important to use your own words for this!
You cannot use Local Variation text for the description or rules if this text was distributed to you by another network, organization, or business, or if the text links to another network, organization or business. This is a form of commercial use, and commercial use is not allowed. If you'd like to connect a commercial entity with Buy Nothing, you need our express permission - contact us here to start that conversation.
It's very easy to avoid commercial use of our materials. Simply use your own words, for your own group's use. This is exactly what being a Local Variation is all about, and we're happy to see you do this to serve your local community.
Add your unique group information in a new separate paragraph underneath the standard Buy Nothing group description and attribution, and be sure to include your own attribution for your own wording. It's important to use your own words here, not text from any other entity or group, and it's important to give yourself credit for your own words, so people know where they should turn if they questions about your group's special local rules. - 3Add Your Own Unique Group RulesThe Buy Nothing Project's Basic Rules only take up spot #1 of the 10 Rules area in a Facebook private group. This means you have Rules 2 - 10 for your own particular use, and if you have anything in spaces 2-10, you are indeed a Local Variation!
Write your own unique rules into each of these sections so all of your group members have access to them and can see that you've added these yourself. This way, we're working together to support your community: If there are any questions about the rules, your neighbors will know you're the only one who can explain how your Local Variation Rules work, and they'll be directed to our Help Center if they have any questions about the basic Buy Nothing Rules. We'll answer questions and provide support around the Buy Nothing global standards so you're free to focus on guiding people in ways that bring your Local Variation to life. - 4Protect Your Local Variation GroupThere are a few things you need to avoid in order to protect your group from enforcement action by Facebook or other platform hosts.
- Make sure you haven't edited or deleted any of the Buy Nothing Project text or links. The Buy Nothing text needs to stand as we've written it, fully and clearly attributed to us, so we can be accountable for our words and ideas.
- Make sure your new description information and rules are written in your own words and that your new text is clearly attributed to you. You hold the copyright for your own unique rules in your own words, so be sure to give yourself credit!
- Do not link to any other entity, website, business, brand, or organization. If you would like to join forces with Buy Nothing in a partnership that connects your entity, website, business, brand, or organization, contact us. This sort of commercial partnership is its own thing and is not allowed without our explicit permission.
Thank you for bringing Buy Nothing to life for your community! If you're looking for help building an inclusive and thriving Buy Nothing community, please visit our Build Buy Nothing page. For all sorts of resources, visit the Buy Nothing Public Library. If you'd like help with anything, please contact us.
Copyright 2023 Liesl Clark & Rebecca Rockefeller, The Buy Nothing Project. All rights reserved. Each Buy Nothing private group may use the information on this page per the directions on this page, but the content cannot otherwise be copied, distributed, or edited without permission from the Buy Nothing Project.
If you'd like to build a Buy Nothing group for your community, contact us here and we'll get you set up.