[License-review] [License Review] Request for Approval: BOS Public License v1.3

[Carlo Piana]

Dear Luis, 

While on a cursory reading I see just little problems with the provided license text per se, in addition to a proliferation issue of being the 10,354th submitted MIT derivative, I cannot help but notice that the submission does not include the required information and therefore I will not comment it until the deficiencies are resolved. Please refer to [ https://opensource.org/licenses/review-process | https://opensource.org/licenses/review-process ] . I would suggest to resubmit. 

All the best, 

Carlo 

> Da: "Harz Tronics" <harztronicsgmbh at gmail.com>
> A: "license-review at lists.opensource.org" <license-review at lists.opensource.org>
> Inviato: Sabato, 5 settembre 2026 10:15:15
> Oggetto: [License-review] [License Review] Request for Approval: BOS Public
> License v1.3

> Dear OSI License Review Committee,
> I am formally submitting the BOS Public License v1.3 for review and OSI
> approval.
> The BOS Public License is a permissive, file-based attribution license based
> structurally on the standard MIT License, but with specific, explicit terms
> regarding upstream repository tracking and credit preservation.

> RATIONALE & COMPARISON:
> While the standard MIT License requires the preservation of copyright notices,
> it does not explicitly guarantee that downstream forks preserve a pointer back
> to the immediate upstream source code repository or an immutable developer
> credits file.
> To prevent legal traps associated with network uptime or platform-dependent API
> structures, Version 1.3 utilizes a static, technology-neutral file mechanism
> (UPSTREAM.txt and CREDITS.txt) similar in intent to the NOTICE file mechanics
> found in the Apache 2.0 license.
> Downstream modifiers are strictly responsible for preserving the physical text
> files themselves, meaning temporary network outages or broken URLs do not
> impact legal compliance or introduce shifting liability. Below is the full text
> of the license for your evaluation.

> Thank you for your time and consideration,
> Luis Harz

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> THE BOS PUBLIC LICENSE (Better Open Source)
> Version 1.3 Based on the MIT License with custom attribution terms
> Copyright (c) 2026 [Your Name or Organization]

> Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
> of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal
> in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
> to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
> copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
> furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

> The above copyright notice, this permission notice, and the additional terms
> below shall be included in all copies, forks, or substantial portions of the
> Software.

> ADDITIONAL TERMS:
> (Note: The additional terms below apply strictly to public Source Code
> distribution and repositories, not to compiled binaries or object code.)

> 1. Upstream Identification: If the Software includes an UPSTREAM.txt file at
> its root containing a URL or reference to the upstream repository, this file
> must be preserved without removal or alteration in all public distributions
> of the source code. The downstream modifier is not legally responsible for
> the ongoing availability, validity, or uptime of the URL specified within
> the file, only for the preservation of the text file itself. Downstream
> modifiers are permitted to append their own repository location to this file.

> 2. Preservation of Credits: If the Software contains a CREDITS.txt file,
> existing names and credits within this file must be preserved without removal
> or alteration in all forks, modifications, or republished versions of the
> Software. You are permitted to add new credits or names (for yourself or
> other contributors) to the file.

> THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
> IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
> FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
> AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
> LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
> OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
> THE SOFTWARE.

> _______________________________________________
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> Initiative will be sent from an opensource.org email address.

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