This page describes what the document states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology
“In no event and under no legal theory, whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise, unless required by applicable law (such as deliberate and grossly negligent acts) or agreed to in writing, shall DeepSeek be liable to You for damages, including any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character arising as a result of this License or out of the use or inability to use the Model...”
“downstream derivative versions of the model could be released under different licensing terms, the latter will always have to include - at minimum - the same use-based restrictions as the ones in the original license”
“For any use intended to or which has the effect of discriminating against or harming individuals or groups based on online or offline social behavior or known or predicted personal or personality characteristics;”
“For fully automated decision making that adversely impacts an individual's legal rights or otherwise creates or modifies a binding, enforceable obligation;”
“For the purpose of exploiting, harming or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way;”
“You are accountable for the Output you generate and its subsequent uses. No use of the output can contravene any provision as stated in the License.”
This license gives you broad, free, permanent rights to use, share, and build on DeepSeek's Model, but comes with strict rules about what you cannot do with it—such as using it to automate decisions that affect someone's legal rights, to discriminate based on personal characteristics, or to harm minors. If you redistribute or build derivatives, you must pass those same restrictions on to your users in a binding way. DeepSeek excludes itself from liability for any damages arising from the Model, and can remotely cut off your access if you violate the terms.
The DeepSeek Open Source License establishes the terms under which DeepSeek grants licensees broad copyright and patent rights to reproduce, prepare, display, perform, sublicense, distribute, make, use, offer to sell, sell, and import the Model on a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, and irrevocable basis. These grants are conditioned on a set of high-severity use-based restrictions, including prohibitions on fully automated decision-making that adversely impacts legal rights, discriminatory or harmful use based on behavioral or predicted personal characteristics, and any exploitation or harm directed at minors. Licensees bear accountability for all outputs generated and their downstream uses, and must propagate the use-based restrictions as enforceable provisions in any legal agreement governing redistribution or derivative works, ensuring the restriction floor persists through the entire chain of derivative versions. DeepSeek's own liability is comprehensively excluded across all categories of damages, and DeepSeek reserves the right to restrict access to the Model—including remotely—for violations of the License to the maximum extent permitted by law.
As a user or downstream licensee, you receive broad rights to use and redistribute the Model at no cost, but you are personally accountable for every output the Model generates and for how that output is subsequently used—including by others after it leaves your hands. You are prohibited from using the Model for fully automated decisions that affect legal rights, for purposes that discriminate or harm based on behavioral or predicted characteristics, or for anything that exploits or harms minors. DeepSeek has excluded itself from all damage liability, meaning you have no contractual remedy against DeepSeek for harms connected to the Model. You are also required to comply with applicable privacy laws as a binding contractual obligation under this License.
Which mapped governance frameworks each document engages, tied to the specific provisions that engage them.
We withheld clauses we had published from this document. Each withholding is recorded in our correction log:
“In no event and under no legal theory, whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise, unless required by applicable law (such as deliberate and grossly negligent acts) or agreed to in writing, shall DeepSeek be liable to You for …”
“downstream derivative versions of the model could be released under different licensing terms, the latter will always have to include - at minimum - the same use-based restrictions as the ones in the original license”
“For any use intended to or which has the effect of discriminating against or harming individuals or groups based on online or offline social behavior or known or predicted personal or personality characteristics;”
“For fully automated decision making that adversely impacts an individual's legal rights or otherwise creates or modifies a binding, enforceable obligation;”
“For the purpose of exploiting, harming or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way;”
“You are accountable for the Output you generate and its subsequent uses. No use of the output can contravene any provision as stated in the License.”
“If You institute patent litigation against any entity...alleging that the Model and/or Complementary Material constitutes direct or contributory patent infringement, then any patent licenses granted to You...shall terminate...”
“DeepSeek hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute...”
“DeepSeek hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable (except as stated in this paragraph) patent license to make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell, import...”
“You commit to complying with applicable laws and regulations in the handling of personal information and the use of such works.”
“To the maximum extent permitted by law, DeepSeek reserves the right to restrict (remotely or otherwise) usage of the Model in violation of this License.”
“Use-based restrictions as referenced in paragraph 5 MUST be included as an enforceable provision by You in any type of legal agreement...governing the use and/or distribution of the Model or Derivatives of the Model...”
Every distinct legal provision identified in this document. Featured provisions appear above with analysis.
Cross-platform context
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