Open Source Initiative

The goal of the OSI License Review Process is to ensure that licenses and software labeled as "open source" conforms to existing community norms and expectations. For that reason, all licenses must go through a public review process described below. The OSI Board is happy to consult with entities in advance to help them navigate the process and improve their license, but formal approval requires going through license-review.

Purpose of the Process

• Ensure approved licenses conform to the Open Source Definition
• Identify appropriate License Proliferation Category
• Discourage vanity and duplicative Licenses
• Ensure a thorough, transparent, and timely review (e.g., within 60 days)
• Provide current status of license review requests

How to Submit A Request

• Identify which type of submission (below)
• Ensure you have appropriate standing to submit such a request
• Subscribe to license-review (if you aren't already)
• Submit a formal request to license-review
• Must include submission type and license name in subject field (to ensure proper tracking)
• Include or link to an HTML or plaintext copy of the license
• Include other supporting data, as indicated below
• Ask the Trac Maintainers to open a ticket for this request

Types of Submissions

Note that most submissions ought to be made by the License Steward (the entity which holds copyright in the license, and/or is allowed to modify it), though exceptions may be made when in the interest of the wider community.

For Update

By: License Steward

Revisions to an existing license

• Include links to old, new, and redlined versions of the license
• Explain rationale and purpose of the major changes
• By default, the old version will be retired ("superseded") after the new one is approved

For New Category

By: License Steward or Interested Licensee

Request to assign new license proliferation category for approved licenses

• Explain rationale for recategorizing, according to defined categories
• Link to earlier public discussions (if any)

For Retirement

By: License Steward (only)

• Specify exactly which version is being retired
• Identify successor license(s), if any

For Legacy Approval

By: License Steward or Interested Licensee

Retroactive approval of historic/legacy licenses that have already been extensively used by an existing community, but have not previously been approved.

• Recommend which license proliferation category is appropriate
• Requires less justification than Approval of a new license

For Approval

By: License Steward

Approval of completely new licenses, or licenses previously used by only a single entity

• Submit before final, whenever possible, to allow for revisions based on feedback
• Clearly state rationale for a new license
• Compare to and contrast with the most similar OSI-approved license(s)
• Provide results of any legal analysis available
• Recommend which license proliferation category is appropriate

What Will Happen

1. The License Review community will discuss on the mailing list for at least 30 days
2. The Trac Maintainers will file appropriate tickets
3. The License Review Chair will summarize and present recommendations to OSI Board (and copy the list)
4. The OSI Board will make the final decision, or requests for additional information, at the next monthly meeting
5. The License Review Chair will report back to the List
6. If Approved, the OSI Website will be updated as appropriate