Dictionary entry Trending
license laundering
also licence laundering or code laundering or AI-assisted license laundering
Definition of license laundering
-
: the practice or alleged practice of using generative AI to rewrite licensed software or other protected material and then releasing the result under different terms while avoiding or obscuring obligations attached to the source
- Contributors accused the project of license laundering after an AI-assisted rewrite replaced copyleft code with an API-compatible implementation under a permissive license.
- The legal review examined whether the new code was independently created or whether the supposed clean-room process amounted to code laundering.
Two meanings, one word
In everyday English
Laundering is the act of making the origin or ownership of something appear legitimate by passing it through a disguising process.
In AI
The practice or alleged practice of using generative AI to rewrite licensed software or other protected material and then releasing the result under different terms…
Origin & history
License laundering and code laundering predate generative AI and have long described copying or reusing material while replacing, removing, or obscuring its original license. The phrases gained renewed attention in AI software development in 2026 after a Claude-assisted rewrite of the Python chardet library was released under a permissive license and prompted debate over whether an AI-mediated rewrite could qualify as independent clean-room reimplementation.
Test yourself
Which of these is the meaning of license laundering?
Cite this entry
"License laundering." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/license-laundering/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.