Can you ship Google's Gemma model commercially? Yes. The Gemma Terms of Use permit commercial use. That is the headline, and it is accurate. The fine print is where it gets interesting, so let us do the fine print.
First: the Gemma terms are not an open source license. They are Google's own terms, with a prohibited use policy. The list covers things like generating misinformation at scale and circumventing safety measures. Standard for a big lab release. But read the actual list instead of my summary. It is shorter than you think.
Second, redistribution. You can build on Gemma and distribute your derivatives, but the terms follow the model. If you are fine-tuning and shipping, make your users' obligations clear in your own terms. This is exactly the detail an open source LLM licensing guide should spell out, because "free to use" stops being simple the moment you redistribute.
One thing I like about the Gemma terms, honestly: they are short. You can read the whole thing in one sitting. Short terms are a feature. Fewer surprises.
Compared to Llama's MAU threshold, the Gemma license commercial use story is simpler for most startups. No user-count tripwire. Just the use policy and the requirement to pass the terms along. If you are writing an AI policy for startups, Gemma is one of the easier models to document: state the terms version, note the prohibited uses, done. Three lines.
Also check the termination clause. Like most big-lab terms, Gemma's can terminate if you violate them. Normal. What matters is that termination is tied to your compliance, not to the lab's business strategy. Read that section once and you will sleep better. These are the Gemma terms of use commercial restrictions in full: shorter than most, and that is the point.
I keep Gemma's terms and 199 other models' licenses compared in plain language at localaitools.fyi, with commercial-use clearance reports if you want it verified.