Defense Commons License

The Industry Commons for Defense Framework (ICD) was created to provide a simple, modern, and standardized way for government, industry, and partners to collaborate on defense software. For decades, defense teams have relied on bespoke CRADAs, licenses, and one-off agreements that slowed development, blocked reuse, and made it difficult to build shared capability. ICD introduces a clear, modular structure that replaces this complexity with transparent, repeatable rules.

The first generation of ICD licenses focused primarily on enabling basic software reuse across government programs — a necessary step at a time when most defense development was still vertically integrated and locked inside proprietary systems. As collaboration needs grew, and as mandates like MOSA, the Software Acquisition Pathway, and the SHARE-IT Act emphasized openness and interoperability, it became clear the community needed a more complete, modernized framework.

The updated ICD Framework reflects this shift. It introduces a dual-license model designed specifically for defense: one license for open, reusable components and another for controlled, sensitive technology. Together, these licenses form a unified approach that gives contributors confidence in how their work will be used and gives government the transparency it needs to adopt, extend, and govern shared mission software.