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

[McCoy Smith]

Luciano:
The process for license approval has a couple of other requirements, 
which it doesn't look like you've done completely here:

https://opensource.org/licenses/review-process

It looks like you haven't done the following (possibly others as well):

*Affirmatively state that the license complies with the Open Source 
Definition, including specifically affirming it meets OSD 3, 5, 6 and 9.
*Identify what projects are already using the license.

*Describe any legal review the license has been through, including 
whether it was drafted by a lawyer.

I haven't looked through this license in detail, but it seems that a 
purpose of your license is to preclude charging a fee for software under 
the license, which likely violates OSD 6 (although the definition is not 
explicit on that point, I think it falls within the statement "For 
example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business").

On 10/12/2024 12:08 PM, onaicul2008 at gmail.com wrote:
>
> 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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