--- title: Clarification on IP Rights Policy description: 'We are updating our Intellectual Property Rights Policy to clarify the relationship between this policy and the licences of the constituent works in Ubuntu.  Specifically, we are adding a single clause which states: “Ubuntu is an aggregate work of many works, each covered by their own licence(s). For the purposes of determining what you c […]' url: https://canonical.com/blog/clarification-on-ip-rights-policy?format=md --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Jane Silber](https://canonical.com/blog/author/silbs "More about Jane Silber") 15 July 2015 # Clarification on IP Rights Policy --- Share the article We are updating our [Intellectual Property Rights Policy](http://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/intellectual-property-policy) to clarify the relationship between this policy and the licences of the constituent works in Ubuntu.  Specifically, we are adding a single clause which states: > “Ubuntu is an aggregate work of many works, each covered by their own licence(s). For the purposes of determining what you can do with specific works in Ubuntu, this policy should be read together with the licence(s) of the relevant packages. For the avoidance of doubt, where any other licence grants rights, this policy does not modify or reduce those rights under those licences.” We are proud to choose the GPL as the default licence for the software that Canonical writes, and we do that because we believe it is the licence that creates the most freedoms for its users.  We have always recognised those rights in this Policy, and over the course of a long conversation with the Free Software Foundation and others, we agreed to eliminate any doubt by adding this new language. We would like to thank the Free Software Foundation and the Software Freedom Conservancy for their suggestions in this regard over the past year.  We’ll continue to evolve our policies, in consultation with the very diverse groups that make up the open source community, to reflect best practice and the needs of Canonical and the Ubuntu community. [Get in touch Interested in running Ubuntu in your organization?](https://ubuntu.com/about/contact-us/form) ## Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/dataprivacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### Canonical joins the Open Secure AI Alliance](https://canonical.com/blog/open-secure-ai-alliance) Canonical is now part of the Open Secure AI Alliance, announced by NVIDIA with partners across cloud computing, cybersecurity, enterprise software, open source foundations, and... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 28 August 2026 [### Arduino® VENTUNO™ Q is available for pre-order with Ubuntu pre-installed](https://canonical.com/blog/arduino-ventuno-q-is-available-for-pre-order-with-ubuntu-pre-installed) London, UK – August 25, 2026 – Following our initial collaboration announcement in March 2026, Canonical and Arduino (a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) are excited... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 25 August 2026 [### Advantech AOM-2721 is now Ubuntu Certified](https://canonical.com/blog/advantech-aom-2721-ubuntu-certified) Canonical announces that the Advantech AOM-2721 is officially joining the list of Ubuntu Certified Hardware. [Mikhail Khazov](https://canonical.com/blog/author/khazov-m) 13 August 2026 [### Canonical integrates NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning with Ubuntu for always-on AI agents](https://canonical.com/blog/nvidia-nemotron-3-5-lightning) Canonical is pleased to announce that NVIDIA’s newly introduced NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, an open, customizable model built for always-on AI agents, is now available on... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 11 August 2026