Unicode Frequently Asked Questions

Unicode License

Q: What is the Unicode License?

The Unicode License is a permissive open source license approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). The Unicode License was approved at the Spring 2018 OSI board meetingexternal link and is expected to be listed on the OSI approved licenses pageexternal link in the near future.

The Unicode License grants permission to download a copy of Unicode data files and software listed in the following Q/A pair. These assets are provided “as-is” with copyright notice and permission notice as specified by the license appearing in all data files, software and related documentation files.

Read the full license text at https://www.unicode.org/license.html.

Q: What assets does the Unicode License cover?

The Unicode License covers the following data files, software and related documentation:

Unicode Data Files ("DATA FILES") include all data files under the directories:
https://www.unicode.org/Public/
https://www.unicode.org/reports/
https://www.unicode.org/ivd/data/

Unicode Software ("SOFTWARE") includes any source code published in the Unicode Standard or any source code or compiled code under the directories:
https://www.unicode.org/Public/PROGRAMS/
https://www.unicode.org/Public/cldr/
http://site.icu-project.org/download/external link

Q: Does the Unicode License cover everything on the Unicode website and code repositories?

The Unicode License does not provide blanket coverage of all data, software and related technical documentation available on Unicode websites and code repositories.

Assets not covered by the Unicode License include:

Unicode Code Charts - Each code chart specifies the terms and conditions for use in its header. Specifically all PDF versions of online code charts under the directory https://www.unicode.org/Public/ are not covered by the license.

Unibook Character Browser - To use Unibook, you must accept an end-user license agreement (EULA). See more details on the Unibook terms of use.

Unicode Standard - Each version of the Unicode Standard has further specifications of rights and restrictions of use. For the book editions (Unicode 5.0 and earlier), these are found on the back of the title page.

Q: How does the Unicode License differ from other major open source licenses such as Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, BSD-2-Clause, MIT?

The Unicode License is a permissive MIT type of license. However, there are several additional considerations identified separately in the associated Unicode Terms of Use. To compare the Unicode License with other major open source licenses, see Wikipedia's referenceexternal link table listing major open source licenses.

Q: Does the Unicode License provide an explicit patent grant?

No.

Q: What are the Unicode Terms of Use? What do they apply to?

The Unicode Terms of Use identify several usage considerations not explicitly listed in the open source Unicode License. These considerations include copyright permissions pertaining to the “Unicode Character Database” (UCD) and the “Unicode Standard” document itself. The considerations also include copyright policy on Government usage, trademarks and logos, and dispute jurisdiction and venue.

Q: What is the Unicode copyright notice?

The full copyright notice contains the Unicode Terms of Use to be used can be found at https://www.unicode.org/copyright.html.

Q: Where does the Linux Foundation SPDX project list the Unicode License and Unicode Terms of Use?

The SPDX project lists the Unicode License hereexternal link. The Unicode Terms of Use are listed hereexternal link.

Q: What are Unicode Consortium trademarks? What is the terms of use for these trademarks?

The Unicode Word Mark and the Unicode Logo are trademarks of Unicode, Inc. “The Unicode Consortium” and “Unicode, Inc.” are trade names of Unicode, Inc.

Use of the information and materials found on www.unicode.org website indicates your acknowledgement of Unicode, Inc.’s exclusive worldwide rights in the Unicode Word Mark, the Unicode Logo, and the Unicode trade names.

The Unicode Consortium Name and Trademark Usage Policy (“Trademark Policy”) may be changed from time to time in the sole discretion of Unicode, Inc.

All third party trademarks references are the property of their respective owners.

Q: I have additional questions about the Unicode License for my use case. How do I contact you to find out more?

You can contact the Unicode Consortium.