{
  "question": "Can I train an AI model on Apache 2.0 material?",
  "slug": "can-i-train-ai-on-apache-2-0",
  "url": "https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-train-ai-on-apache-2-0",
  "short_answer": "Training a model: Needs review. Training a model you use commercially: Needs review.",
  "framing": "Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0): Use, reproduce, modify, sublicense and distribute for any purpose, with an express patent license; keep notices, include the license and mark changed files.",
  "checks": [
    {
      "label": "Training a model",
      "license": "Apache-2.0",
      "license_name": "Apache License 2.0",
      "intended_use": {
        "model_training": true
      },
      "verdict": "needs_review",
      "answer": "Needs review",
      "findings": [
        "The license grants broad rights but attaches conditions (such as keeping notices) to copies and adaptations. Whether a trained model, or its output, is a copy or adaptation that carries those conditions is legally unsettled, and in some places training may fall under an exception such as fair use. A human reviewer should confirm this use for your case."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "attribution",
        "license_notice",
        "state_changes"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0"
    },
    {
      "label": "Training a model you use commercially",
      "license": "Apache-2.0",
      "license_name": "Apache License 2.0",
      "intended_use": {
        "model_training": true,
        "commercial_use": true
      },
      "verdict": "needs_review",
      "answer": "Needs review",
      "findings": [
        "The license grants broad rights but attaches conditions (such as keeping notices) to copies and adaptations. Whether a trained model, or its output, is a copy or adaptation that carries those conditions is legally unsettled, and in some places training may fall under an exception such as fair use. A human reviewer should confirm this use for your case."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "attribution",
        "license_notice",
        "state_changes"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0"
    }
  ],
  "context": [
    "Whether a trained model is a copy or adaptation of its training data is legally unsettled; where the license does not settle it, Rightshold marks training for human review instead of guessing.",
    "Includes an express patent license that ends for anyone who sues over patents in the work (section 3).",
    "Does not grant rights to the licensor's trademarks (section 6)."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Apache License 2.0: official text",
      "url": "https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0"
    },
    {
      "title": "Apache-2.0 on the SPDX License List",
      "url": "https://spdx.org/licenses/Apache-2.0.html"
    }
  ],
  "check_it_yourself": {
    "mcp": {
      "tool": "check_license",
      "arguments": {
        "license": "Apache-2.0",
        "intended_use": {
          "model_training": true
        }
      }
    },
    "rest": "POST https://www.rightshold.com/v1/licenses/check"
  },
  "computed_from": "Rightshold license profiles at render time; not legal advice",
  "updated": "2026-10-19"
}