OAI License Model
The OpenAirInterfaceTM (OAI) Software Alliance utilizes various licenses to distribute software and documentation, as well as to accept contributions from individuals and corporations. The following figure shows the OAI software packages and the licenses under which they are distributed.
Licensing of distribution
The OAI software is currently split into four project repositories as shown in the figure above:
eNB, UE Radio Access Network (RAN) is licensed under the OAI Public License V1.1.
The MME and HSS components of the OAI 4G Core Network (EPC) are licensed under the 3-Clause BSD License.
The SPGW-C and SPGW-U components of the OAI 4G Core Network (EPC) are licensed under the OAI Public License V1.1.
All components of the 3GPP 5G Core Network are licensed under the OAI Public License V1.1.
The OAI Public License V1.1 is a modified version of the Apache License V2.0, with a modified patent clause that allows contributing parties to make patent licenses available to third parties under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms for commercial exploitation. The availability of the OAI code is free for non-commercial/academic research purposes. The main reason for this modification is to allow companies/individuals that own a significant portfolio of patents to be able to contribute to the OAI source code and still be able to keep their patent rights. Such a license will allow close collaboration with 3GPP member companies while also allowing commercial exploitation of the code. We have attempted to adhere to the 3GPP FRAND policy on licensing in this regard. We expect that with this modification to the OAI Public License V1.1, it will allow more companies/individuals to contribute to the software, while protecting their essential IPR.
Contributor license agreement
The OAI requires that all contributors of ideas, code, or documentation to OAI projects sign an Individual Contributor License Agreement (ICLA). The purpose of this agreement is to clearly define the terms under which intellectual property is contributed to OAI. It also enables us to protect the project in the event of any legal dispute regarding the software in the future. A signed ICLA must be on file before adding an individual to OAI projects in GitLab or other software/document management systems.
For corporations whose employees contribute to OAI projects, a Corporate Contributor License Agreement (CCLA) is available to cover the contribution of intellectual property (IPR). However, individual developers are still required to sign the Individual Contributor License Agreement (ICLA).
Below are the different licenses for the two OpenAirInterface repositories: OpenAirInterface5G and OpenAirCN.
Please note that you only need to sign and submit these documents if you intend to contribute code to the OAI codebase.
ICLA
Individual Contributor License Agreement for 3-Clause BSD
ICLA
Individual Contributor License Agreement for OAI RAN, 5G CN, SPGW-C/U, and FlecRIC
CCLA
Corporate Contributor License Agreement for 3-Clause BSD
CCLA
Corporate Contributor License Agreement for OAI RAN, 5G CN, SPGW-C/U, and FlecRIC