BAYC/MAYC Holders Can Now Request a “Made by Apes” License

Made by Apes: How it works

By owning a Bored Ape or Mutant Ape NFT, Yuga Labs grants a broad license to holders to be able to use their Ape for both personal and commercial use. Its website states that the Made by Apes license is “a certification that the product/service provider owns or has licensed a legitimate BAYC or MAYC NFT.”

Since the initial launch of the BAYC collection in April 2021, we have already seen some interesting projects come out of Bored Ape/Mutant Ape IP explorations, including Ape Water, Bored Sauce, Bored & Hungry, and many others. Spanning across retail clothing and entertainment to food, consumer packaged goods, and cannabis, Apes have started to pop up more frequently in pop culture. 

To request a license, holders must first connect their digital wallet containing their Ape(s) and continue with the license registration process. According to the website, Yuga distinguishes two different types of licenses – the “Primary License” and “Product License.” 

The Primary License serves as the holder’s main license associated with their specific Ape, which is indicated by the first five numbers of the license number. Under this license, holders can add Product Licenses, or sublicenses, to associate different Apes and products that attach to the primary. That is indicated by the three digits following the Primary License numbers. To be able to sublicense, holders must first have a Primary License. 

Thank you to our launch partners for helping us set the bar for commercial rights usage: @ApeBeverages @AppliedPrimate @artinmotionlab @BoredBrewingCo @boredchili @BoredMediaGroup @heromachine_eth @LadiesofBAYC @MutantGrape @SpiritPunks_ @storyverse_xyz @warpsound_ai

— Bored Ape Yacht Club (@BoredApeYC) July 24, 2023

Once the license has been issued, holders can then display their Made by Apes logo in their projects alongside the image of their BAYC or MAYC NFT. However, doing so comes with two caveats. The first is that the logo must be used “as-is” and cannot be altered or manipulated in any way, including the removal or watermarking of the license number, and the logo cannot be featured more prominently than the holder’s individual BAYC or MAYC NFT image. 

One Ape, Multiple Projects

For holders that want to use their individual Ape in multiple projects or services, Yuga says that you’ll need to register for multiple Product Licenses, of which there is no limit or restriction on how many a holder can request. For example, if your Ape was used on a t-shirt, and now you want to display it on a beer or beverage product, you would need to register for a new Product License. 

One Project, Multiple Apes

On the flip side, for holders that may own multiple Apes and want to use them in conjunction with a particular product or service, all you would need to do is request one license per Ape. Yuga says that in the “near future,” holders will then subsequently be able to register the project under a single master license to then add each additional Ape as sublicenses. 

The Bodega

BAYC members who join the Made by Apes program will also have their respective goods and services featured in Yuga Labs’s online directory, known as The Bodega, which is expected to launch later this summer. 

“The Bodega will display all Made by Ape licensees,” the official licensing website reads. “You will be able to browse through other BAYC and MAYC community built products that use their BAYC and MAYC NFTs to build their brand. It is also a great way to check if a product with a Made by Apes logo has a valid license.”

Importantly, the website includes a disclaimer emphasizing that The Bodega and the Made by Apes logo “are not an endorsement of the project/products displayed.” Those interested in joining the Made by Apes licensing program can begin here.