ACL 1.0: A source-available commercial license for the AI era
4 days ago
- #Open Source
- #Source License
- #AI Protection
- License allows reading, running, and internal modification of source code without redistribution or hosted services.
- Every version converts to Apache 2.0 after four years, addressing AI-training protection not covered by older licenses.
- Includes explicit rights for enterprise buyers and regulated industries to audit code for security and compliance.
- Prohibits using the Licensed Work as AI training data, with safe harbor for ordinary AI-tool use and flow-through obligations to AI vendors.
- Automatic conversion to Apache License ensures adopters are not permanently dependent on the licensor.
- Features include source availability, blocks hosted-service competition, AI training protection, auto-conversion to OSI license, tier structure, enterprise IP indemnification, and contributor patent grant.
- Addresses risks of source code exfiltration into AI models, with a three-layered clause: knowledge-qualified prohibition, safe harbor, and flow-through obligation.
- Encourages adoption and adaptation of the clause to set a standard for future commercial licenses.