{
  "question": "Can I use a Hugging Face model commercially?",
  "slug": "can-i-use-a-hugging-face-model-commercially",
  "url": "https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-use-a-hugging-face-model-commercially",
  "short_answer": "An Apache-2.0 model, deployed commercially: Yes. A Llama 3.1 model: Yes. An OpenRAIL-M model (Stable Diffusion family): Yes.",
  "framing": "Each model card states its own license. Pass the model URL as source_url and Rightshold reads the declared license.",
  "checks": [
    {
      "label": "An Apache-2.0 model, deployed commercially",
      "license": "Apache-2.0",
      "license_name": "Apache License 2.0",
      "intended_use": {
        "commercial_use": true,
        "deployment": true
      },
      "verdict": "permitted",
      "answer": "Yes",
      "findings": [
        "Every use you described is granted by Apache 2.0, and nothing you described is prohibited."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "attribution",
        "license_notice",
        "state_changes"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0"
    },
    {
      "label": "A Llama 3.1 model",
      "license": "LicenseRef-Llama-3.1-Community",
      "license_name": "Llama 3.1 Community License Agreement",
      "intended_use": {
        "commercial_use": true,
        "deployment": true
      },
      "verdict": "permitted",
      "answer": "Yes",
      "findings": [
        "Every use you described is granted by Llama 3.1 Community, and nothing you described is prohibited."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "attribution",
        "license_notice",
        "acceptable_use_policy",
        "model_name_prefix",
        "user_threshold"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://www.llama.com/llama3_1/license/"
    },
    {
      "label": "An OpenRAIL-M model (Stable Diffusion family)",
      "license": "LicenseRef-CreativeML-OpenRAIL-M",
      "license_name": "CreativeML Open RAIL-M License",
      "intended_use": {
        "commercial_use": true,
        "deployment": true
      },
      "verdict": "permitted",
      "answer": "Yes",
      "findings": [
        "Every use you described is granted by CreativeML OpenRAIL-M, and nothing you described is prohibited."
      ],
      "duties": [
        "license_notice",
        "state_changes",
        "use_restrictions",
        "pass_on_restrictions"
      ],
      "curation": "curated",
      "official_text": "https://huggingface.co/spaces/CompVis/stable-diffusion-license"
    }
  ],
  "context": [
    "Fine-tunes inherit the base model's license; check the base model named on the card."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Hugging Face: licenses",
      "url": "https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/repositories-licenses"
    }
  ],
  "check_it_yourself": {
    "mcp": {
      "tool": "check_license",
      "arguments": {
        "license": "Apache-2.0",
        "intended_use": {
          "commercial_use": true,
          "deployment": 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"
}