[License-discuss] Improvement to the License-Review Process

[Pamela Chestek]

It was fairly clear when the Vaccine License was submitted that there 
was something afoot, the question was what. But we get many requests to 
approve licenses that aren't well-written or that on their face don't 
meet the OSD. We don't really have a choice but to treat them all with 
equal dignity, no matter what we think may be going on.

I am wary of not accepting anonymous licenses. I consider anonymity to 
be an important right. This case demonstrates why: the pro-vaccine 
position might subject one to negative consequences.

I was quite peeved when I learned this was a fake license and I agree it 
was thoughtless and inappropriate to waste everyone's time. That said, 
it's one time in as long as I can remember, so at the moment I don't see 
it as something worth reacting to.

Pam

Pamela S. Chestek
Chestek Legal
PO Box 2492
Raleigh, NC 27602
pamela at chesteklegal.com
(919) 800-8033

On 8/25/2020 3:13 PM, Florian Weimer wrote:
> * McCoy Smith:
>
>> Might it be time to require license submitters to actually identify
>> themselves, the organization they represent, and the name of the legal
>> person they worked with in creating and submitting the license?
> Quite a few people view such a requirement in a software license as
> DFSG-noncompliant.  I think it would be a bit odd if OSI adopted such
> a requirement within its contribution process.
>
>> I know this was a minor blip in the process, but isn't the all-volunteer
>> Board busy enough that they shouldn't have to go through the motions of
>> convening a meeting and scheduling a vote on someone's joke proposal?
> Instead, you will have to review the provided identifying information
> and determine whether a proposal has genuine (business, community,
> artistic) interest behind it or not.  I doubt that it would save much
> time.
>
> It also does not stop people from submitting time wasters under a
> real, government-issued identity.
>
>> [I'd also suggest that people caught doing these sorts of non-serious or
>> pseudonymous submissions not have the right to submit or comment on the
>> mailing lists in the future]
> How are you going to enforce that?
>
> There's going to be an exception process, just like in the Vaccine
> License (but some egal certificate instead of a one issued by the
> doctor).
>
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