License¶
Joch's open-source code is released under the Apache License, Version 2.0. The license applies across all peasantsai/joch* repositories under PeasantsAI, with the exception of peasantsai/joch-cloud, which is a private repository for the commercial multi-tenant control plane.
Apache-2.0 in plain language¶
You may:
- use Joch for any purpose, including commercial,
- modify Joch and distribute your modified version,
- include Joch in your own product (subject to attribution and patent terms in the license),
- redistribute the source or compiled binaries.
You must:
- preserve the Apache-2.0 license notice and a copy of the license,
- preserve copyright notices, attribution notices, and the
NOTICEfile, - state any modifications you make in modified files,
- comply with the Apache-2.0 patent grant terms.
You may not:
- use the Joch name or trademarks in branding or marketing for forks (see Project Governance).
This is not legal advice. The full license text governs.
Why Apache-2.0¶
- Industry standard for control-plane projects (Kubernetes, Helm, OpenTelemetry, OPA).
- Permissive enough that enterprise procurement does not block adoption.
- Patent grant provides downstream users protection.
- Compatible with downstream commercial use, including SaaS.
Why not BSL / SSPL / "source-available"¶
We deliberately do not use Business Source License, Server Side Public License, or "source-available" custom licenses. Those licenses change adoption dynamics, frighten enterprise procurement, and tend to fragment communities. The cost of the additional revenue protection they provide is, in our analysis, higher than the cost of a generous Apache-2.0 with a strong trademark.
Per-component licenses¶
| Component | License |
|---|---|
peasantsai/joch (core) |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-spec |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-docs |
Apache-2.0 (text); CC-BY-4.0 (some images, where noted) |
peasantsai/joch-examples |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-registry |
Apache-2.0 (registry framework); per-entry licenses noted in entries |
peasantsai/joch-operator |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-mcp |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-js, joch-python |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-ui |
Apache-2.0 |
peasantsai/joch-cloud |
Proprietary (commercial) |
| Joch Enterprise distribution | Commercial license |
Third-party dependencies¶
Each repository ships an LICENSES/ directory and a SBOM in CycloneDX. Contributors must use the dependency-allow-list to avoid introducing copyleft (GPL / AGPL) dependencies into the core, since these would propagate license obligations to downstream users.
Trademark¶
Apache-2.0 does not grant trademark rights. Joch, Joch Cloud, Joch Enterprise, Joch Console, Joch Operator, Joch Registry, and Joch Marketplace are trademarks of PeasantsAI. The Trademark Policy is published separately.
Questions¶
License or trademark questions can be sent to legal@peasantsai.io. For contribution license questions, see Contributing.