[License-review] Request for a new license review

Sun Mar 30 21:05:39 UTC 2025

All,

I am pleased to report that the Board approved the OSC License version 1 
as and Open Source Initiative Certified License at its Board meeting on 
March 21, 2025. It should be added to the website shortly.

Pam

Pamela S. Chestek
Board Member
Open Source Initiative

On 3/18/2025 10:16 PM, Pamela Chestek wrote:
>
> Dear License review,
>
> Below is the recommendation of the License Committee to the Board 
> regarding approval of the OSC License version 1. The Board should be 
> voting on the license at the next Board meeting.
>
> Pam
>
> Pamela S. Chestek
> Board Member
> Open Source Initiative
>
> =============
>
> License: OSC License version 1 (Exhibit A)
> Submitted: December 23, 2024, 
> https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review_lists.opensource.org/2024-December/005616.htmll
> Decision date: due no later than the first Board meeting after 
> February 23, 2025 (delayed due to wait for certified translation)
>
> License Review Committee Recommendation:
>
> Resolved that it is the opinion of the OSI that the OSC License 
> version 1 be approved as an Open Source Initiative Certified license 
> in the International category of licenses.
>
> Rationale Document
>
> Notes: The license is intended to be the same in effect as the MIT 
> License but the disclaimer of warranty is more specifically written to 
> comply with German law. The value of the license is that, under German 
> law, an attempt to disclaim liability that cannot lawfully be 
> disclaimed might create greater liability than necessary for the 
> copyright owner. The licensor provided a certified English translation 
> of the license, which is reproduced below.
>
> One commenter had two comments 
> <https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review_lists.opensource.org/2025-March/005728.html>, 
> although not raised as objections per se. The first comment was a 
> suggestion that, because English is a more universal language, a 
> licensee who was providing license information should be able to 
> provide the English version. The chair of the license committee 
> disagreed with this suggestion 
> <https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review_lists.opensource.org/2025-March/005733.html>on 
> the basis that German is the controlling language and therefore is the 
> version that should be provided, pointing out that the translation 
> would be available on the OSI website.
>
> The second comment was that the narrower limitation of liability (the 
> reason for the license) was that it created too much risk in countries 
> where liability could be disclaimed. The chair of the license 
> committee opined 
> <https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review_lists.opensource.org/2025-March/005733.html>that 
> it made the license unappealing to both contributors and other 
> potential adopters of the license, but that it did not violate the 
> OSD. A second commenter agreed 
> <https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review_lists.opensource.org/2025-March/005734.html>with 
> this statement.
>
> These concerns therefore were not reason enough to reject the license.
>
> Exhibit A
>
> Original language
>
> Copyright (c) <Jahr> <Copyright Inhaber>
>
> Jedem, der eine Kopie dieser Software und der zugehörigen 
> Dokumentationsdateien (die „Software“) erhält, wird hiermit kostenlos 
> die Erlaubnis erteilt, ohne Einschränkung die Software zu verwenden, 
> einschließlich und ohne Einschränkung der Rechte zur Nutzung, zum 
> Kopieren, Ändern, Zusammenführen, Veröffentlichen, Verteilen, 
> Unterlizenzieren und/oder Verkaufen von Kopien der Software, und 
> Personen, denen die Software zur Verfügung gestellt wird, dies unter 
> den folgenden Bedingungen zu gestatten:
>
> Der obige Urheberrechtshinweis und dieser Genehmigungshinweis müssen 
> in allen Kopien oder wesentlichen Teilen der Software enthalten sein.
>
> DIE URHEBER ODER URHEBERRECHTSINHABER HAFTEN UNBESCHRÄNKT BEI VORSATZ, 
> ARGLISTIGER TÄUSCHUNG, GROBER FAHRLÄSSIGKEIT, DER VERLETZUNG VON LEIB, 
> LEBEN ODER GESUNDHEIT UND SOWEIT DIE HAFTUNG GESETZLICH NICHT 
> BESCHRÄNKT ODER AUSGESCHLOSSEN WERDEN KANN. BEI FAHRLÄSSIGER 
> VERLETZUNG EINER PFLICHT, DEREN ERFÜLLUNG WESENTLICH FÜR DIE 
> DURCHFÜHRUNG DES VERTRAGS IST (KARDINALPFLICHT), HAFTEN DIE URHEBER 
> ODER URHEBERRECHTSINHABER DER HÖHE NACH BEGRENZT AUF DEN SCHADEN, DER 
> BEI VERTRAGSSCHLUSS VORHERSEHBAR UND TYPISCH IST.
>
> DARÜBER HINAUS IST EINE HAFTUNG AUSGESCHLOSSEN.
>
> DIE VORSTEHENDE HAFTUNGSBESCHRÄNKUNG GILT AUCH FÜR DIE HAFTUNG DER 
> MITARBEITER, VERTRETER UND ORGANE DER URHEBER ODER URHEBERRECHTSINHABER.
>
>
> Certified translation (for review only - see OSI records for original 
> copy of translation)
>
> Copyright © <year> <Copyright holder>
> Each person who receives a copy of this software and the associated 
> documentation files (the “software”) is hereby granted permission, 
> free of charge, to use the software without limitation, including, 
> without limitation, the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, 
> distribute, sublicense and/or sell copies of the software, and to 
> allow persons to whom the software is provided to do the above, 
> subject to the following conditions:
>
> The copyright notice above and this notice of permission must be 
> included in all copies or material parts of the software.
>
> THE RIGHTS HOLDERS (AUTHORS AND/OR LICENSORS) SHALL BE LIABLE WITHOUT 
> LIMITATION IN THE EVENT OF WILFUL INTENT, FRAUD, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, 
> DAMAGE TO LIFE, LIMB OR HEALTH AND IF LIABILITY CANNOT BE LIMITED OR 
> EXCLUDED BY LAW. IN CASE OF A NEGLIGENT BREACH OF AN OBLIGATION THAT 
> IS MATERIAL FOR THE EXECUTION OF THIS OSC LICENSE AGREEMENT (MATERIAL 
> DUTY), THE RIGHTS HOLDERS (AUTHORS AND/OR LICENSORS) SHALL BE LIABLE 
> UP TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT IS TYPICALLY FORESEEABLE AT THE TIME 
> THIS OSC LICENSE AGREEMENT IS CONCLUDED.
>
> ANY FURTHER LIABILITY IS EXCLUDED.
>
> THE ABOVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY SHALL ALSO APPLY TO THE LIABILITY OF 
> EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND GOVERNING BODIES OF THE RIGHTS HOLDERS 
> (AUTHORS AND/OR LICENSORS).
>
>
>
>
> On 12/11/2024 1:58 AM, Langenheim, Niccolo wrote:
>>
>> Dear Open Source Initiative Team,
>>
>> With this e-mail I am submitting a new Open Source license on behalf 
>> of my client, the city of Solingen in Germany. The need for the new 
>> license stems from the fact that the versatile MIT license does not 
>> contain a limitation of liability that is effective under German law. 
>> Even if it is predominantly assumed in the specialist literature that 
>> Open Source licenses are generally subject to donation law and 
>> therefore more favourable liability and warranty rights apply, it has 
>> not yet been confirmed by the courts. This results in the risk that 
>> courts may adopt a different legal interpretation in the event of a 
>> dispute, with the result that the statutory liability limitations of 
>> donation law no longer apply. However, it is particularly important 
>> for public law projects of cities, municipalities, etc. to agree a 
>> legally secure limitation of liability that guarantees a limitation 
>> of liability regardless of the legal classification.
>>
>> In order to close this gap in the limitation of liability and at the 
>> same time benefit from the advantages of an MIT license, we have 
>> drafted the following license, which, apart from an effective 
>> limitation of liability, is based on the MIT license:
>>
>> Copyright (c) <Jahr> <Copyright Inhaber>
>>
>> Jedem, der eine Kopie dieser Software und der zugehörigen 
>> Dokumentationsdateien (die „Software“) erhält, wird hiermit kostenlos 
>> die Erlaubnis erteilt, ohne Einschränkung mit der Software zu 
>> handeln, einschließlich und ohne Einschränkung der Rechte zur 
>> Nutzung, zum Kopieren, Ändern, Zusammenführen, Veröffentlichen, 
>> Verteilen, Unterlizenzieren und/oder Verkaufen von Kopien der 
>> Software, und Personen, denen die Software zur Verfügung gestellt 
>> wird, dies unter den folgenden Bedingungen zu gestatten:
>>
>> Der obige Urheberrechtshinweis und dieser Genehmigungshinweis müssen 
>> in allen Kopien oder wesentlichen Teilen der Software enthalten sein.
>>
>> DIE AUTOREN ODER URHEBERRECHTSINHABER HAFTEN UNBESCHRÄNKT BEI 
>> VORSATZ, ARGLISTIGER TÄUSCHUNG, GROBER FAHRLÄSSIGKEIT, DER VERLETZUNG 
>> VON LEIB, LEBEN ODER GESUNDHEIT UND SOWEIT DIE HAFTUNG GESETZLICH 
>> NICHT BESCHRÄNKT ODER AUSGESCHLOSSEN WERDEN KANN. BEI FAHRLÄSSIGER 
>> VERLETZUNG EINER PFLICHT, DEREN ERFÜLLUNG WESENTLICH FÜR DIE 
>> DURCHFÜHRUNG DES VERTRAGS IST (KARDINALPFLICHT), HAFTEN DIE AUTOREN 
>> ODER URHEBERRECHTSINHABER DER HÖHE NACH BEGRENZT AUF DEN SCHADEN, DER 
>> BEI VERTRAGSSCHLUSS VORHERSEHBAR UND TYPISCH IST.
>>
>> DARÜBER HINAUS IST EINE HAFTUNG AUSGESCHLOSSEN.
>>
>> DIE VORSTEHENDE HAFTUNGSBESCHRÄNKUNG GILT AUCH FÜR DIE HAFTUNG DER 
>> MITARBEITER, VERTRETER UND ORGANE DER AUTOREN ODER URHEBERRECHTSINHABER.
>>
>> Finally, I would like to note that the license has been legally 
>> reviewed by our law firm.
>>
>> I will be happy to answer any further questions.
>>
>> Kind Regards
>>
>> NiccoloLangenheim
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> *Niccolo****Langenheim*
>>
>>
>> *Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH*
>>
>> Anna-Schneider-Steig 22 (Rheinauhafen), 50678 Köln, Germany
>>
>> Phone: +49 221 9937 21105
>>
>> Fax: +49 221 9937 110
>>
>> Mobile: +49 152 016 21105
>>
>> niccolo.langenheim at luther-lawfirm.com 
>> <mailto:niccolo.langenheim at luther-lawfirm.com>
>>
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>>
>>
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>>
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>> _______________________________________________
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