tico License

End-User License Agreement and legal terms for the tico software.

This license governs the use, distribution, and legal status of the tico frontend application and its relationship to third-party components.

1. Proprietary Frontend License

The tico frontend application (including its UI, UX, codebase, architecture, branding, and internal systems), excluding emulator cores and third-party libraries, is proprietary software.

Prohibited:

  • •Modification
  • •Reverse engineering
  • •Decompilation or disassembly
  • •Creation of derivative works
  • •Redistribution in modified form
  • •Commercial use of any kind
  • •Distribution behind paywalls
  • •Distribution requiring paid memberships or subscriptions
  • •Monetization through ads, donations, or any revenue generation
  • •Commercial use without explicit written permission

Permitted:

  • •Personal, non-commercial use
  • •Redistribution of unmodified binaries
    with proper attribution
  • •Free distribution without any payment, membership, or access restrictions

No rights are granted except those explicitly stated in this license.

2. Absolute Commercial Use Prohibition

The following are strictly prohibited under all circumstances:

  • •Selling tico or charging any fee for access
  • •Requiring payment, subscription, or membership to download or use tico
  • •Placing tico behind paywalls, premium tiers, or exclusive access systems
  • •Bundling tico with paid products or services
  • •Using tico as an incentive for paid memberships or subscriptions
  • •Generating revenue from tico through advertisements, sponsorships, or donations
  • •Offering "premium" or "enhanced" versions for payment
  • •Commercial hosting or distribution requiring payment

Any violation of this section constitutes a material breach of this license and may result in legal action.

3. Independent Implementation & Concept Use

tico is an independent implementation of publicly presented interface concepts and design ideas. The software is built entirely from original source code and original technical implementation.

No proprietary source code, internal assets, or protected implementation details from any third-party project have been accessed, copied, or used in the development of tico.

Conceptual inspiration does not imply code, asset, or implementation reuse.

4. Emulator Cores & LibRetro Architecture

tico is a frontend application that interfaces with emulator cores exclusively through the LibRetro API.

  • •Emulator cores are independent software components
  • •Emulator cores are not part of the tico codebase
  • •Communication occurs only through standardized LibRetro interfaces
  • •tico does not embed, merge, or integrate emulator core source code

Emulator cores retain their original licenses, copyrights, and authorship.

5. Third-Party Software

tico integrates or interfaces with third-party open-source software components, including but not limited to:

  • •Emulator cores (GPL, MPL, custom licenses)
  • •UI and system libraries (MIT, ISC, BSD, Public Domain)
  • •Platform libraries and frameworks

Each component is governed by its own license terms, which remain fully applicable.

This license does not override or replace any third-party license.

* Note: Full copies of third-party licenses and detailed developer credits are shipped directly within the tico application package.

6. GPL Compliance Statement

For components licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL):

  • •Source code is provided by the original rights holders in their respective repositories
  • •tico interfaces with cores through standardized APIs

7. Asset Usage

All UI and interface elements in tico are generated programmatically. tico does not depend on embedded template files or proprietary asset packs.

Where third-party assets are used:

  • •They retain their original licenses
  • •Attribution is provided where required
  • •Licensing terms remain fully applicable

User-provided assets are the sole responsibility of the user.

8. No Affiliation

tico is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with:

  • •Nintendo Co., Ltd.
  • •Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • •Sega Corporation
  • •Any console manufacturer or game publisher

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

9. No Warranty

The software is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.

In no event shall the author or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages, or other liability arising from the use of the software.

10. Limitation of Liability

tico and its developer(s) shall not be held liable for:

  • •Misuse of the software
  • •Illegal use of emulation software
  • •Copyright violations by users
  • •Improper acquisition of ROMs, BIOS files, or assets
  • •License violations by third parties

11. User Responsibilities

By using tico, the user agrees that they are solely responsible for:

  • •Legally obtaining all games, ROMs, BIOS files, firmware, and system files
  • •Compliance with local, national, and international copyright laws
  • •Respecting all third-party licenses
  • •Lawful use of emulation software
  • •Lawful use of third-party intellectual property

12. Trademarks

All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners.

Use of these names does not imply endorsement.

13. Governing Principle

This license governs only the tico frontend application.

It does not alter, replace, or override the licenses of any third-party software, emulator cores, libraries, or assets.

Project Launch:
January 19, 2026

Last Updated:
February 10, 2026

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