Apache 2.0 and Patent Protection

The Apache Licence 2.0 is one of the most popular licences for enterprise software. It combines permissive usage rights with explicit protection against patent claims.

Core concept

Permissive (no copyleft): code can be embedded in proprietary products without requiring disclosure of the source code. What makes it unique is the patent grant clause: anyone who contributes code under Apache 2.0 simultaneously grants users a free patent licence for the technologies contained therein.

Assessment

• For organisations: The gold standard for internal libraries and commercial products. Provides maximum legal certainty for legal departments.
• For OSS authors: Promotes broad acceptance in industry, but offers less protection against free-riders than copyleft licences.

Related topics

• OSS Business Models, the business-model context for open software in Apache 2.0.
• OSI Definition, the open-source boundary for Apache 2.0.
• MIT Licence, the permissive licence comparison for Apache 2.0.