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<p>One of the nice things that SPDX has done is to identify licenses
for which there is either omittable or replaceable text.
BSD-3-Clause-LBNL is a exemplary example of that:</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause-LBNL.html">https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause-LBNL.html</a><br>
</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/v2.3/license-matching-guidelines-and-templates/#b34-guideline-replaceable-text">https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/v2.3/license-matching-guidelines-and-templates/#b34-guideline-replaceable-text</a></p>
<p>This request for approval is merely to re-approve
BSD-3-Clause-LBNL with replaceable text fitting in within SPDX
guidelines for BSD-3-Clause-LBNL.</p>
<p>In other words, in my opinion, this is just asking for approval
for an already approved license.</p>
<p>For that reason, I don't think this should be approved as it
already has been in the form of BSD-3-Clause-LBNL.*</p>
<p>*FWIW, OSI probably ought to put a notice on all the approved
licenses that any variants that fall within the omittable or
replaceable text guidelines under SPDX are also approved.</p>
<p>[speaking in personal capacity not as member of the Board]<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/18/2025 6:36 AM, Carlo Piana
wrote:<br>
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cite="mid:993260815.340135.1752845804986.JavaMail.zimbra@piana.eu">
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<div>Will,</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>thank you for your submission.</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>If I understand correctly, the main reason for creating a
new license and submit it as an approved license is to permit
attribution of copyright? I am rather opposed to have this
kind of licenses approved, since the BSD license has a
placeholder and any name slotted in is by definition approved
and this one, if I understand it correctly, does not bring any
difference but the name, so it's the same license.</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>Despite it not being necessarily an issue of proliferation,
giving it a different name when it's actually the same
license, creates unnecessary friction, clogs the namespace and
creates a lot of issues in automated license compatibility
resolution, especially if it's given a separate SPDX
identifier.</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>Besides, it is not the license the right place to claim
copyright. In source code there are standards like SPDX and
REUSE and that one is the (machine readable) way. In object
code there are numerous ways too.</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>Have you considered the above?</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>Thank you very much.</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div>Carlo</div>
<div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<hr id="zwchr" data-marker="__DIVIDER__">
<div data-marker="__HEADERS__">
<blockquote
style="border-left:2px solid #1010FF;margin-left:5px;padding-left:5px;color:#000;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><b>Da:
</b>"Will Rarich via License-review"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:license-review@lists.opensource.org"><license-review@lists.opensource.org></a><br>
<b>A: </b><a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:license-review@lists.opensource.org">"license-review@lists.opensource.org"</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:license-review@lists.opensource.org"><license-review@lists.opensource.org></a><br>
<b>Cc: </b>"Will Rarich" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:wrarich@pppl.gov"><wrarich@pppl.gov></a><br>
<b>Inviato: </b>Mercoledì, 9 luglio 2025 18:25:54<br>
<b>Oggetto: </b>[License-review] OSI License Submission -
PPPL BSD-3<br>
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<div>
<div>Hello,</div>
<br>
<div>I work in the tech transfer office at the Princeton
Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL), a DOE National Laboratory,
and I have recently taken up a stewardship role over
the lab's software portfolio. I am in the process of
ensuring we are compliant with our contractual
obligations to the DOE in how we obtain permission to
copyright software, so there are a number of "legacy"
codes at the lab being open sourced in addition to
anything newly authored by our developers. My
colleague Chris Wright has prepared a preferred
license for this process, a variant of Lawrence
Berkeley National Lab's BSD-3 license (<a
href="https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause-lbnl" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause-lbnl</a>)
with PPPL's name substituted. We would like to have
our license officially approved by OSI to encourage
its use when our developers decide to open source
through our office. </div>
<br>
<div>As it pertains to this review process, this license
would be considered "new" as it has been in use for
only a few months. </div>
<br>
<div>The attached PPPL BSD-3 License complies with the
Open Source Definition, including clauses 3, 5, 6, and
9.</div>
<br>
<div>Anarrima (<a
href="https://github.com/PrincetonUniversity/anarrima" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://github.com/PrincetonUniversity/anarrima</a>)
has been made publicly available with the PPPL BSD-3
License, and several other PPPL-developed codes will
be imminently open sourced with it. </div>
<br>
<div>The license steward is PPPL's Strategic Engagement
and Applications Development office (<a
href="mailto:SEAD@pppl.gov" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">SEAD@pppl.gov</a>). </div>
<br>
<div>The license name is Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
BSD Variant License with the identifier
BSD-3-Clause-PPPL.</div>
<br>
<div>The gap filled by this additional license is
PPPL's ability to assert copyright on software
authored by its staff and affiliates. When DOE-funded
software announcements are made in accordance with our
government contract at <a
href="https://www.osti.gov/doecode/" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://www.osti.gov/doecode/</a>
the announcement requires the name and/or link to the
OSS License. Having the PPPL version of the
BSD-3-Clause-PPPL published on <a
href="http://opensource.org" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">opensource.org</a> will
reduce confusion by enabling links to the correct
document. </div>
<br>
<div>It is most similar to LBNL's BSD-3 license (<a
href="https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause-lbnl" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause-lbnl</a>)
with PPPL's name substituted throughout. </div>
<br>
<div>The license has not been through legal review. </div>
<br>
<div>I am happy to address any further questions or
comments regarding this license. </div>
<br>
<div>Best,</div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#666666">Will Rarich</font>
<div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)">Technology
Transfer Specialist</span><br>
</div>
<div><font color="#666666"><a
href="mailto:wrarich@pppl.gov" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">wrarich@pppl.gov</a></font><br
data-mce-bogus="1">
</div>
<div><font color="#666666">Mobile: (908)-285-7143</font></div>
<div><font color="#666666">Visit us at <a
href="https://innovation.pppl.gov/"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://innovation.pppl.gov/</a><br>
</font></div>
<div>
<div><font color="#666666"><b>Princeton Plasma
Physics Laboratory</b> is a U.S. Department
of Energy National Laboratory managed by
Princeton University.</font></div>
<div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><img alt="PPPL"
width="96" height="53"
src="https://pppl-intranet.princeton.edu/sites/pppl-intranet/files/pppl_logo.png"
moz-do-not-send="true"></div>
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