BSD-like licenses and the OSI approval process

[Matthew Flaschen]

Chris Travers wrote:
> 2)  Go with the theme-and-variations approach I mentioned earlier.
> Have a separate track for approving minor wording changes, and list
> them in the parent licenses listing.

I don't think this will solve, or even reduce, the license proliferation
problem.  True, it will minimoze the number of licenses on the main
list.  But it will encourage proliferation in general.  At least now,
people won't submit a permissive license that's only a word off from an
approved one.  But if it's just a (lightly-discussed) variation, why
not?  This opens the door to unlimited variations, all with some form of
OSI sanction.  I believe this will increase work for both OSI and the
FOSS community.

Matt Flaschen