The Open Weight Definition

The Open Weight Definition

Introduction

Open weight doesn’t just mean access to the model weights. The distribution terms of open weight models must comply with the following criteria:

1. Free Redistribution

The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from several different sources. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale.

2. Model Weights

The model must include the weights, and must allow distribution of the weights. Where some form of a product is not distributed with the weights, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the weights for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost. The weights must be the actual form in which a practitioner would use the model. Deliberately obfuscated weights are not allowed. Intermediate forms, such as derived or quantized versions, are allowed only if they are equivalent to the weights used by the distributor in their own distribution or deployment.

3. Derived Works

The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original software.

4. Integrity of The Author’s Source Code

The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form only if the license allows the distribution of “patch files” with the source code for the purpose of modifying the program at build time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of software built from modified source code. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original software.

5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups

The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.

6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor

The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research.

7. Distribution of License

The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.

8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product

The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program’s being part of a particular software distribution. If the program is extracted from that distribution and used or distributed within the terms of the program’s license, all parties to whom the program is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the original software distribution.

9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software

The license must not place restrictions on other software that is distributed along with the licensed software. For example, the license must not insist that all other programs distributed on the same medium must be open source software.

10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral

No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology or style of interface.

The Open Weight Definition was originally derived from the Open Source Definition, which was derived from the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG).

Version 0.1, last modified, 2024-12-05