[License-review] Submission of Forever Free & Open License (FFOL) for OSI Approval

[onaicul2008 at gmail.com]

Hello,

I am submitting a new license, the Forever Free and Open License (FFOL), for
OSI approval. Below is a brief overview of the license, how it complies with
the Open Source Definition (OSD), and why it is a necessary addition to the
OSI-approved licenses.

 

Overview:  

The Forever Free and Open License (FFOL) ensures that the Licensed Work
remains free (both as in freedom and as in price), requiring that all
modifications be distributed under the same license. It enforces open access
to modifications, prohibits charging for the work itself, and ensures that
redistributions retain proper attribution to original authors.

 

Compliance with OSD:  

*	The FFOL complies with the OSD by providing the rights to freely
use, modify, and redistribute the Licensed Work.
*	It guarantees open access to the source code and requires that
modifications are made publicly accessible without restriction.
*	It enforces strong copyleft principles while promoting open
collaboration and contribution.

 

Rationale:  

The FFOL is necessary to offer a stricter copyleft license that ensures no
barriers are introduced to access or modify works. It closes loopholes found
in some existing licenses, such as preventing gatekeeping by private groups
or organizations. It also emphasizes keeping the works fully accessible and
transparent for everyone.

A key distinction of the FFOL is that it ensures the works remain free not
only in terms of freedom (as defined by other licenses like GPL) but also in
terms of price. Unlike the GPL, which explicitly permits charging for
redistributions (as long as freedom to modify is maintained), the FFOL
prohibits any fees for access to the Licensed Work itself. This guarantees
that no one is ever charged for using, sharing, or accessing the work,
ensuring a price-free distribution model.

Another important element of the FFOL is its strong emphasis on proper
attribution. It ensures that every contributor is credited strictly for
their specific contributions, with clear boundaries set between original
authorship and modifications. This approach promotes transparency and
fairness in recognizing contributions across the lifespan of a project,
avoiding excessive or insufficient attribution for each contributor.

 

Attached is the final version of the license text. I look forward to
discussing it further with the OSI community.

 

Best regards,  

Luciano Girotti.

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