cla.html

---
layout: default
id: cla
title: Contributor License Agreements at Microsoft
permalink: /cla/
---

<article class="program-page">
    <div class="page-header">
        <div class="wrapper">
            <div class="col-md-10 col-lg-7 mx-auto">
                <h1 class="h2">Contributor License Agreements</h2>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="wrapper-full bg-light">
        <div class="wrapper my-6 py-4">
            <div class="col-md-10 col-lg-7 mx-auto">
                <h3 class="h4 font-weight-400 mb-4">
                    We appreciate community contributions to Microsoft repositories. By
                    signing a contributor license agreement, we ensure that the
                    community is free to use your contributions.
                </h3>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>


    <div class="wrapper my-6 py-4">
        <div class="col-md-10 col-lg-7 mx-auto longform">
            <div class="pb-6">
                <h3 class="h3">Review the CLA document</h3>
                <p>
                    Download the <a href="/pdf/microsoft-contribution-license-agreement.pdf" 
                    target="_new">Microsoft Contributor License Agreement as a PDF</a> document if you need.
                </p>
            </div>
            <div class="pb-6">
                <h3 class="h3">Signing the CLA</h3>
                <p>
                    The Microsoft CLA experience is integrated natively into GitHub and its pull request
                    experience. Here's how it works the first time you contribute to a Microsoft open source
                    project:
                </p>
                 <ul>
                    <li>
                        When you open a pull request, the <code>license/cla</code> check is run by our 
                        bot.
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        If you've signed the CLA before, the status check goes green, and you're done.
                        Your pull request is ready to be reviewed and merged.
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        If you have not signed the CLA at any point before, the pull request will
                        receive a comment annotated with the agreement and more information about
                        signing the agreement. You will reply with a comment to accept the agreement
                        on behalf of yourself, or, if you've been authorized to sign on behalf of
                        your company, there is a different syntax for that.
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        After signing, the status check will pass and you're all set. <strong>Thanks for your contribution!</strong>
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        <em>NOTE:</em><br />
                        If you're an active Microsoft employee or vendor, there is a Microsoft-internal
                        system that allows you to "link" your GitHub account for corporate use. When you
                        use your linked account, you will not have to sign the CLA. Microsoft
                        employees and vendors can learn more about linking accounts at 
                        <a href="https://aka.ms/opensource" target="_new">aka.ms/opensource</a>.
                    </li>
                </ul>
            </div>


            <div class="pb-6">
                <h3 class="h3">.NET Foundation CLA</h3>
                <p>
                    The <a href="https://dotnetfoundation.org/" target="_new">.NET Foundation</a> is a
                    501(c)(6) non-profit organization, which was established to support an innovative,
                    commercially friendly, open-source ecosystem around the .NET platform.
                </p>
                <p>
                    While Microsoft assists with infrastructure alignment, the foundation maintains
                    a separate CLA. You can read more about this process at 
                    <a target="_new" href="https://cla.dotnetfoundation.org/">https://cla.dotnetfoundation.org/</a>. 
                    Even Microsoft employees must sign the .NET Foundation CLA to cover their contributions to
                    the community.
                </p>
            </div>

            <div class="pb-6">
                <h3 class="h3">Corporate CLA (CCLA)</h3>
                <p>
                    Microsoft does not typically participate in corporate CLA agreements, given the
                    scale and logistics challenge.
                </p>
                <p>
                    However, we recognize that some companies, especially those in highly regulated industries,
                    need to have the ability to explicitly manage specific people who have access to participate
                    in Microsoft projects. To enable these scenarios, an authorized individual or group from such
                    a company can receive a special "CCLA repository" that will allow your firm to manually manage
                    specific GitHub logins that are authorized on behalf of your company. You can also use GitHub Actions
                    or other technology to customize and automate this list.
                </p>
                <p>
                    A CCLA repository is a bespoke process. If you feel your company is a good fit for this,
                    please reach out to the Microsoft Open Source Programs Office at <a href="mailto:opensource@microsoft.com">opensource@microsoft.com</a>.
                </p>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>

</article>