DeepSeek Open Source License

This document is the DeepSeek-V3 Model License, a custom open-weight model license governing the use, reproduction, distribution, and modification of the DeepSeek-V3 model weights, parameters, and associated materials published by DeepSeek. The agreement states that commercial use is permitted for organizations with fewer than 100 million monthly active users, while entities exceeding that threshold must obtain a separate commercial license from DeepSeek; the terms also authorize licensees to create and distribute derivative works provided they carry the DeepSeek-V3 model name and are governed by this same license. Notably, the license prohibits use of the model to develop competing general-purpose AI models, a restriction that is operationally distinct from permissive open-source licenses such as Apache 2.0 and may create enforcement ambiguity given the difficulty of defining 'competing' or 'similar' AI foundation models. The license is governed by the laws of the People's Republic of China, which creates jurisdictional complexity for licensees in the EU, US, and other territories; the restriction on competing model development may interact with competition law frameworks in the EU and US depending on market context and enforcement posture. Compliance teams at AI companies, research institutions, and commercial deployers should evaluate the MAU threshold, the competing-model prohibition, the derivative-works attribution requirements, and the governing law clause as priority review items.