THIS DRAFT PAGE IS PART OF AN ONGOING DISCUSSION – IT DOES NOT REPRESENT AN OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE OSI.

This page is a draft for a proposal to de-list licenses, as discussed in the What would de-listing of licenses look like? mailing list thread. To avoid misunderstandings, please do not quote from it except to contribute to that discussion as a participant in the appropriate forums.

Previous discussions of interest: December 2011

License De-Listing Process Proposal Draft

The proposed goal of the OSI License De-listing Process is to ensure OSI-approved license list contains only licenses which conform to the OSD, by allowing an avenue for serious concerns on OSD compliance for approved licenses to be addressed. While the License Review Process is expected to provide a very good ensurance, the process itself has been built in time, using the experience of the first years to improve, and benefits today from the help of many professionals in various fields, as well as from community norms and expectations it has assisted in the first place. The de-listing process offers a way for the eventual rare, and presumably old, case where serious concerns on OSD compliance have been raised after approval.

The license-discuss mailing list is the recommended forum to ask questions or discuss doubts on approved licenses, before submission of a formal request for de-listing through license-review.

Important note: de-listing is expected to be a very rare event, only when serious concerns on OSD conformance have been raised, and at the final discretion of the OSI board.

Purpose of the Process

• Ensure approved licenses conform to the Open Source Definition, by allowing an avenue for serious doubts of any nature, on the formerly approved licenses, to be expressed and formally channeled to the attention of OSI board.

How to Submit A Request

• Discuss the intention on license-discuss list, and ensure at least one [license review committee member? any community member? more than one? require a loose consensus?] support your proposal.
• Subscribe to license-review (if you aren't already)
• Submit a formal request to license-review
• Must include For De-Listing and license name in subject field (to ensure proper tracking)
• Link to the license on OSI listing or canonical address
• Include other supporting data, as indicated below
• Explain rationale for de-listing
• Link to earlier public discussions (if any)

For De-Listing

By: Any community member

• Indicate previous license-discuss thread(s), and public support of at least one [?, as above]
• Clearly state and argument rationale for de-listing
• Provide results of any legal analysis available

What Will Happen

1. The License Review community will discuss on the mailing list for at least 30 days. The submitter should participate in this discussion by replying to any questions asked.
2. The License Review Chair will summarize and present recommendations to OSI Board (and copy the list).
3. The OSI Board will make the final decision, or requests for additional information, at the next monthly meeting.
4. The License Review Chair will report back to the List.
5. If de-listing is accepted, the OSI Website will be updated as appropriate.