Ship Your Product Without Shipping Your Source
The definitive guide to using Libre-YOLO in proprietary, closed-source applications. No license negotiations. No legal gray areas. Just clear, actionable guidance.
TL;DR: Yes, You Can Sell This
The Libre-YOLO engine is released under the MIT License. This is one of the most permissive open-source licenses available.
You are explicitly permitted to:
- Use in proprietary software
- Sell products that include it
- Modify the code freely
- Keep your changes private
- Bundle in closed-source apps
- Deploy on any infrastructure
The Only Requirement
Include the License Notice
The MIT license requires you to include the copyright notice and license text somewhere in your distribution. This is typically done in one of these ways:
Desktop Apps
Include in your "About" dialog, "Third-Party Licenses" section, or bundled LICENSE file.
Web Services
Include in your terms of service, a /licenses endpoint, or internal documentation.
Embedded Systems
Include in product documentation, the device's info screen, or accompanying materials.
Libre-YOLO
Copyright (c) 2024 Libre-YOLO Contributors
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
obtaining a copy of this software...
[Full MIT License text]Common Use Cases
All of these are explicitly permitted under the MIT license.
Enterprise Software
Build internal tools, analytics platforms, or enterprise products with object detection capabilities.
SaaS Applications
Offer detection-as-a-service, image analysis APIs, or AI-powered features to your customers.
On-Premise Deployment
Deploy to customer infrastructure, air-gapped networks, or private clouds.
Embedded Devices
Ship in IoT devices, edge computing systems, cameras, or robotics platforms.
Consulting & Integration
Build custom solutions for clients and include Libre-YOLO as part of your deliverables.
Proprietary Modifications
Fork, modify, and extend the codebase without any obligation to share changes.
A Note on Model Weights
Engine vs. Weights: Different Licenses May Apply
The Libre-YOLO engine (the code that runs inference and training) is MIT-licensed. However, pre-trained model weights may have different licensing terms depending on their origin.
Weights trained from scratch using Libre-YOLO on public datasets. Fully safe for commercial use.
Weights converted from other implementations. Consult your legal team for commercial deployments.
The Safest Path for Commercial Use
- 1Use MIT-licensed weights from our Model Zoo for initial development
- 2Fine-tune on your own proprietary dataset using Libre-YOLO
- 3Your resulting weights are entirely yours with no licensing obligations
License Comparison: MIT vs. AGPL
Understanding the practical differences for commercial applications.
| Use Case | MIT | AGPL |
|---|---|---|
| Use in proprietary software | ||
| Sell products containing it | ||
| Modify without disclosure | ||
| Offer as SaaS | ||
| Bundle in closed-source apps | ||
| Deploy on customer infrastructure | ||
| Fork without sharing changes | ||
| Commercial use fee | — | Required |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pay anything to use Libre-YOLO commercially?
No. The MIT license does not require any payment, royalties, or fees for commercial use. You can use, modify, and distribute Libre-YOLO in commercial products at no cost.
Do I need to open-source my application if I use Libre-YOLO?
No. Unlike copyleft licenses (like AGPL), the MIT license has no "viral" clause. Your proprietary code remains proprietary. You only need to include the MIT license notice somewhere in your distribution.
Can I use Libre-YOLO in a SaaS product?
Yes. You can build and deploy SaaS products using Libre-YOLO without any special licensing requirements. The MIT license explicitly permits this.
What if I modify the Libre-YOLO source code?
You can modify the code freely without any obligation to share your changes. Unlike AGPL, MIT does not require you to publish modifications.
Can my competitors use my improvements if I contribute back?
If you choose to contribute improvements back to the Libre-YOLO project (which is optional), those contributions become available under MIT license. But you're never required to contribute.
How do I ensure my commercial use is fully "clean"?
Use MIT-licensed weights from our Model Zoo, or train your own models from scratch using Libre-YOLO. Your trained weights are entirely yours with no encumbrances.
Ready to Build?
Start integrating Libre-YOLO into your commercial product today. No licensing calls. No legal reviews. Just code.