Open Source Policy Examples and Templates

Companies using open source software often create a company-wide policy to ensure that all staff is informed of how to use open source (especially in products). An open source policy exists to maximize the impact and benefit of using open source, and to ensure that any technical, legal or business risks resulting from that usage are properly mitigated.

These templates and examples are simply for you to reuse and learn from.

Examples and Templates

• Buffer
  • Buffer Open Source Guide
• Citi
  • Citi OSPO
  • Free and Open Source Software Contribution Guidelines
• eBay
  • open source website
• GitLab
  • GitLab Team Handbook
• Google
  • OSPO Policies
• Linux Foundation
  • Open Source Approval Form Template
  • Open Source Generic Policy
• FINOS
  • FINOS Reference FOSS Policy
• Indeed
  • Indeed
• Joyent
  • Joyent Open Source Policy
• Microsoft
  • Microsoft's Open Source Program
• OpenChain
  • OpenChain Policy Template
• Rackspace
  • Model IP and Open Source Contribution Policy
• Red Hat
  • Red Hat’s open source participation guidelines
• Sauce Labs
  • Sauce Labs Open Source Documentation
• SUSE
  • SUSE Open Source Policy
• United States Government Services Administration (GSA)
  • GSA.gov Open Source Policy
• Yahoo
  • Yahoo Open Source Guide
• Zalando
  • Zalando's Open Source Documentation