The Licence Approval Process

Getting a License Approved

1. Choose a unique title for your license, different from any known
   titles of licenses. In particular, make it different from any of the existing approved licenses (by name or category).
   Hint: doing a Google search for "Your License Title" (including the
   quotes) is useful.

2. Render the license in two formats: HTML and plain text. Put the
   HTML version on a web page. We will convert it into the same style as
   the existing approved licenses. You can help us by publishing it in
   that style yourself to save us the conversion step.

3. Create a legal analysis of the license as it complies with the
   terms of the Open Source Definition. Each paragraph of the license
   should be followed by an explanation of how the paragraph interacts
   with each numbered term of the Open Source Definition. The analysis
   should come from a licensed practitioner of the law in your country.
   Email this analysis to license-approval at our domain name,
   opensource.org. This document will remain confidential to the Open
   Source Initiative.

4. Prepare an email with three sections as described in the next
   three paragraphs. Send that email to the license-discuss mailing list
   (license-discuss at our domain name, opensource.org). The subject of
   your message should be "For Approval:" followed by the name of your
   license.
   • Tell us which existing OSI-approved license is most similar to
     your license. Explain why that license will not suffice for
     your needs. If your proposed license is derived from a license we have
     already approved, describe exactly what you have changed. This
     document is not part of the license; it is solely to help the
     license-discuss understand and review your license.

   • Explain how software distributed under your license can
     be used in conjunction with software distributed under other
     open source licenses. Which license do you think will take
     precedence for derivative or combined works? Is there any
     software license that is entirely incompatible with your proposed
     license?.

   • Include the plain text version of your license at the end of the
     email, either as an insertion or as an attachment.

5. You are invited to follow discussion of the licenses by subscribing to

   license-discuss-subscribe@opensource.org.
   This mailing-list is archived here.

6. If license-discuss mailing list members find that the license does
   not conform to the Open Source Definition, they will work with you to
   resolve the problems. Similarly, if we see a problem, we will work
   with you to resolve any problems uncovered in public comment.
7. As part of this process, we may also seek outside legal advice on
   license issues.
8. Once we are assured that the license conforms to the
   Open Source Definition and has
   received thorough discussion on license-discuss or by other reviewers, and there are
   no remaining issues that we judge significant, we will notify you that the
   license has been approved, copy it to our website, and add it to the list
   below.

QUICK FAQ: 1) The board meets as needed and on the first or second Wednesday of every month (the schedule varies, unfortunately).
Motions may be entered at any time but resolutions are only passed at
scheduled meetings or when all board members have voted via email. 2) You should
hear back from us within two months, unless we have unusually heavy travel schedules.