[License-review] ModelGo Attribution License, Version 2.0 FINAL CALL FOR COMMENTS

[Pamela Chestek]

Can you provide a link or copy of the text of each license?

Thanks,

Pam

Pamela S. Chestek
Chestek Legal
4641 Post St.
Unit 4316
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
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pamela at chesteklegal.com
www.chesteklegal.com


On 9/7/2026 10:44 AM, McCoy Smith wrote:
> All:
>
> There are two ModelGo licenses currently up for consideration:
>
> 1. ModelGo Zero (basically, a -0 version of these licenses, with no 
> obligations on licensee);
>
> 2. ModelGo Attribution (basically a -BY version of these licenses, 
> with certain attribution obligations on the licensee).
>
> I'd like to have those interested in either: a) approval of 
> AI-directed licenses; or b) approval of licenses in general to have 
> one more chance to comment upon these. Please don't assume comments 
> you may have made in 2025 are applicable to these licenses since they 
> have changed quite a bit since then, and a copyleft version has been 
> dropped from consideration due to concerns raised at the time they 
> were submitted.
>
> To ease review, I've done a redline of these two licenses against one 
> another, here: 
> https://github.com/McCoySmith/OSI-License-Review-Compare/raw/refs/heads/main/ModelGo%20Attribution%202.0%20compare%20ModelGo%20Zero%202.0.odt
>
> This shows how the Attribution version of the license adds additional 
> requirements versus the Zero version.
>
> A few questions I'd specifically like to direct to the 
> commenting/reviewing community on this list:
>
> 1. These licenses trigger obligations (to extent there are any) upon 
> Distribution, which includes "providing the Licensed Materials or any 
> part thereof as a hosted service or remotely accessible service, such 
> as API-based access or web access." This sort of requirement is not 
> uncommon in OSI approved licenses (for example, both versions of AGPL 
> and the various versions of the Open Software License). Is this sort 
> of obligation problematic for licenses designed for AI-models vs 
> software? Is there a Freedom Zero issue with this sort of clause for 
> an AI model?
>
> 2. The definition of "Licensed Materials" includes both the Model as 
> well as "Complimentary Materials" defined as software used with the 
> model. Is combining these two types of material together into the 
> definition of what is licensed problematic? Some of the comments on 
> OpenMDW-1.1 seemed to indicate some were concerned with that, but I'd 
> like to know if in the case of these two licenses that concern attaches.
>
> 3. The Attribution version of this license has a termination clause, 
> that allows for termination "if You initiate any legal action against 
> the Licensor alleging that the Licensed Materials and/or Derivative 
> Materials infringe any patent worldwide." Does this create a OSD 5 
> problem because it only applies to Licensor, not Licensees (or just to 
> specific works rather than specific parties)? Also, is this 
> problematic in that a patent assertion can terminate all rights, 
> including copyright rights (keeping in mind that at least MPLv2 and 
> GPLv3 do the same)?
>
> 4. The termination for patent assertion clause applies to patent 
> assertions against "Derivative Materials" -- i.e., subsequent 
> modifications made by others. Is this problematic? This was generally 
> considered to be too broad at the time that various patent assertion 
> termination clauses were being drafted as it allowed for termination 
> beyond the software the licensor originally licenses (one of the main 
> concerns with how some people were reading "Liberty or Death" in GPLv2 
> circa mid '00s). Most of the OSI-approved licenses that have patent 
> assertion termination clauses limit them to assertions against the 
> licensed work, not subsequent derivatives.
>
> Plus one question for the drafter, Dr. Duan:
>
> There is a difference in the language in the preamble of ModelGo Zero 
> vs ModelGo Attribution. ModelGo Zero specifically points out the Sec 3 
> disclaimer, but Attribution does not. Also Attribution says that if 
> you don't agree to the terms, then no rights are granted; ModelGo Zero 
> doesn't require this. Is there a reason for that discrepancy between 
> licenses? Should they be synchronized in this section of the license 
> to be identical?
>
> On 12/8/2025 6:51 AM, Moming Duan wrote:
>> Dear OSI License Review Community,
>>
>>
>> According to the previous discussions with Pam and McCoy, I have made 
>> quick updates to the MG0 and MG-BY licenses. The major modification 
>> is the exclusion of models created through distillation from the 
>> definition of Derivative Materials.
>>
>> The newest text files are attached, and as suggested, I have included 
>> word-diff comparisons with the previous versions. As I mentioned in 
>> my last email, I intend to withdraw MG-BY-SA at this time because I 
>> cannot identify a clear gap that this license would fill, and also 
>> due to the “Preferred Form” concerns raised earlier by Carlo.
>>
>> Please feel free to share any comments.
>>
>>
>> Word-diff:
>> MG0: https://www.diffchecker.com/f8OumPRF/
>> MG-BY: https://www.diffchecker.com/jVBWA9WF/
>>
>>
>> Best,
>> Moming
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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