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<p>Max:</p>
<p>The file you attached appears to be the 2.0 version of the Python
license not the 2.0.1 version, although the diff file appears to
reflect the 2.0.1 version. Also, the 2.0.1 version seems to
incorporate the CNRI-GPL compatible portion, which you've also
separately asked to be approved (it is not clear to me if this is
intended to be a request to approve it as a separate stand-alone
license or as just a component of the Python 2.0.1. license; this
is somewhat complicated by these licenses appearing to be
concatenations of a list of multiple different licenses).</p>
<p>I understand that the Python licensing situation seems to be a
mess, and the approvals at SPDX and OSI may not comport with
long-standing licensing practice, but I think if there's a request
for approval is required, we'd need to know exactly what actual
licenses need approval (OSI doesn't approve separate parts of
licenses, unless they are themselves stand-alone licenses being
used in that way), and have a clear understanding of are the
differences between older licenses that have been approved and
what the current license for which approval is requested. Frankly,
I'm having a real hard time doing that (the diff file isn't
helping much as it doesn't really highlight differences, it just
shows whole blocks that might or might not be identical being
swapped out). I tried to do a compare in LibreOffice between what
looks like 2.0.1. and 2.0 but that didn't help either.</p>
<p>Could you work with the folks at Python to put together a clearer
explanation of what is the license or licenses that Python is
using, how they differ from the license or licenses that have been
approved in the past, and why those changes were made? I'm not
sure what OSI has now is sufficient for us to make an intelligent
analysis and decision on the various Python licenses.</p>
<p>McCoy Smith</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/20/2026 9:13 AM, Max Mehl wrote:<br>
</div>
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Dear all,</div>
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<br>
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Following a <a
href="https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-discuss_lists.opensource.org/2026-March/022526.html"
data-outlook-id="f56ac280-833e-4490-a519-14120104b2c7"
moz-do-not-send="true">
discussion on license-discuss@</a> and a quick coordination
with Deb from the Python Software Foundation (in Cc), I would
like to propose that Python-2.0.1 be considered an officially
approved (legacy) Open Source license. In the same step, I
propose to mark Python-2.0 as either Superseded or <span
style="font-family: Aptos; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Voluntarily Retired.</span></div>
<div
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<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In parallel,
I propose the same for CNRI-Python-GPL-Compatible, for which I
opened a separate thread.</span></div>
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<br>
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I will not repeat all the backstory but refer to the
aforementioned discussion and
<a href="https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2197"
data-outlook-id="9d27bd56-426e-4c0d-b3c4-d089b30dcffd"
moz-do-not-send="true">
spdx/license-list-XML#2197</a>. In short: Python-2.0.1 is the
license that most closely represents the license under which
CPython has been
<a href="https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-201/"
data-outlook-id="9803771c-f3dd-4c85-af65-dd2c1ba73de8"
moz-do-not-send="true">
published since 2001</a> (in combination with 0BSD for
documentation). In comparison with Python-2.0, which is already
OSI approved, the most remarkable difference is an update in the
CNRI portion to make it GPL compatible.</div>
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<br>
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Attached, you will find the license text for Python-2.0.1 as
made available by SPDX, as well as a diff file against
Python-2.0 (ignoring formatting and some non-critical
boilerplate texts to make things easier for you).</div>
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Best,</div>
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Max </div>
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<br>
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<span style="color: black;">-- </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
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<span style="color: black;"><b>Max Mehl</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
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<span style="color: black;">Open Source / Supply Chain</span></p>
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<span style="color: black;">Enterprise-Team Chief Technology
Office (CTO)</span></p>
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<span style="color: black;">DB Systel GmbH / Deutsche Bahn</span></p>
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<span style="color: black;"><br>
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<span style="color: black;">Schedule a meeting: <a
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cal.com/mxmehl</a></span></p>
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