[License-review] Official Submission: Modified 0BSD License (Maintenance-Required)

Tue Mar 17 15:24:02 UTC 2026

Dear License Review Committee,
Pursuant to the OSI License Review Process, I am providing the formal
responses required for the review of the Modified 0BSD License.
1. Support for the Open Source Definition (OSD):
The license complies with all 10 criteria of the OSD. It allows for free
redistribution, includes source code, allows for derived works, and does
not discriminate against any persons or fields of endeavor.
2. Unique Benefits:
Currently, most permissive licenses (MIT, BSD, 0BSD) include a total
disclaimer of warranty ("AS-IS"). This license provides a middle ground for
developers who wish to offer a high degree of freedom (Zero Attribution)
while legally committing to the quality and maintenance of the code. It
provides "Accountable Open Source."
3. Proliferation Category:
This is a Special Purpose License. It is not intended to replace the MIT or
0BSD licenses for all users, but rather to serve projects where the
developer wants to provide a "Maintenance Mandate" as a core feature of the
software's distribution.
4. Comparison to Similar Licenses:
Vs. 0BSD: It is identical in its grant of rights and removal of
attribution, but it removes the "AS-IS" clause and replaces it with the
"Maintenance Obligation."
Vs. TAPR Open Hardware License: Like some hardware licenses, it focuses on
the "Duty to Repair" or maintain, but adapted for software.
5. Legal Analysis:
The "Maintenance Obligation" is structured as a Condition of the License.
If the maintainer or distributor fails to fulfill the duty to repair, the
license grant is technically revoked, ensuring that "dead" or
"unmaintained" forks cannot claim to be part of the supported ecosystem.
6. Formal License Text:
Modified 0BSD License (Maintenance-Required)
Copyright (c) 2026 Vicentte Felipe

Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
purpose with or without fee is hereby granted.

THE MAINTENANCE OBLIGATION:
Unlike the standard 0BSD license, this software is NOT provided "as-is."
The Original Author(s) and/or those who explicitly claim to provide a
supported version of this software accept an affirmative obligation to:
Review and address reported technical defects.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
THE AUTHOR(S) SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE,
DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER
TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. THE REMEDY IS LIMITED TO THE MAINTENANCE
OBLIGATIONS STATED ABOVE.

El mar, 17 de mar de 2026, 11:00, McCoy Smith <mccoy at lexpan.law> escribió:

> Vicentte:
>
> In order for this license to be considered for approval, you need to
> answer all the questions set forth in the process for approval, found
> here: https://opensource.org/licenses/review-process
>
> If you want this license to be considered for approval, please follow
> the process as indicated on OSI's website.
>
> On 3/17/2026 3:56 AM, Vicentte Felipe wrote:
> > Dear OSI License Review Committee,
> > I am formally submitting the Modified 0BSD License for review and
> > approval against the Open Source Definition (OSD).
> > Following previous feedback regarding trademark concerns, I have
> > renamed and refactored the license. It is now based on the established
> > BSD Zero Clause License (0BSD) framework, but with a specific
> > modification to address developer accountability.
> > Submission Details:
> > License Name: Modified 0BSD License (Maintenance-Required)
> > Version: 1.0
> > Official Repository:
> > https://github.com/Vicenttefelipe097/Modified-0BSD-License
> > Rationale: To provide a "Zero-Attribution" permissive license that
> > replaces the standard "AS-IS" disclaimer with a "Duty to Repair." This
> > ensures that users can rely on a commitment to maintenance while
> > enjoying the freedom of a 0BSD-style grant.
> > License Text:
> > Modified 0BSD License (Maintenance-Required)
> > Copyright (c) 2026 Vicentte Felipe
> >
> > Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
> > purpose with or without fee is hereby granted.
> >
> > THE MAINTENANCE OBLIGATION (THE VICENTTE DUTY):
> > Unlike the standard 0BSD license, this software is NOT provided "as-is."
> > The Author(s) and/or Distributor(s) accept an affirmative obligation to:
> > 1. Review and address reported technical defects and bugs.
> > 2. Use best efforts to provide fixes for issues that impair the
> > software’s
> >    intended functionality.
> >
> > LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
> > THE AUTHOR(S) SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR
> > CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF
> > USE,
> > DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER
> > TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
> > PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. THE REMEDY IS LIMITED TO THE MAINTENANCE
> > OBLIGATIONS STATED ABOVE.
> > I believe this modification maintains the spirit of open source while
> > providing a modern framework for professional stewardship. I look
> > forward to the committee’s feedback.
> > Best regards,
> > Vicentte Felipe Software Developer & Architect
> > https://github.com/Vicenttefelipe097
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and not
> necessarily those of the Open Source Initiative. Communication from the
> Open Source Initiative will be sent from an opensource.org email address.
> >
> > License-review mailing list
> > License-review at lists.opensource.org
> >
> http://lists.opensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-review_lists.opensource.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and not
> necessarily those of the Open Source Initiative. Communication from the
> Open Source Initiative will be sent from an opensource.org email address.
>
> License-review mailing list
> License-review at lists.opensource.org
>
> http://lists.opensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-review_lists.opensource.org
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review_lists.opensource.org/attachments/20260317/4f8a71db/attachment-0001.htm>