[License-review] License Submission: Milenium License 1.0

[Carlo Piana]

Thank you Kevin for pointing out some of the deficiencies of this submission. 

Dear Yiğit, 

while I think we all appreciate your dedication to Free and Open Source Software, I am not much impressed by your decision to create a new license instead of using one of the many which have been approved already. In other words, what is the rationale for another license that among others issues includes the name of its author as the copyright holder of a project using the license, regardless whether the submitter is the copyright holder (which sort of defies the second requirement, see further)? 

The first unanswered question is therefore "what is the gap this license purports to fill". You put forward three requirements: 

- The first "strict copyleft" is covered by GNU GPL and GNU AGPL 
- The second is hardly a requirement (preserve the name? Is not the preservation of the copyright notice sufficient? See also Section 7 of GNU GPL v.3, why would a fork not be allowed to change the name of the project?) 
- The third is commonplace for all approved licenses (you mean "the license *grant* is only effective [...]", I assume) 

The language of the license is vague and imprecise and hardly has been reviewed by a sufficiently accomplished FOSS licensing lawyer, or a lawyer at all. EG in section 1, "to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files". what if the person only receives the software without the documentation files? Strictly, they would not obtain a license? Besides, does "person" include legal persons or only natural persons? 

In the same vein, what would "disclosed to the public" means, exactly? So if I receive the software and modify it for private purposes, must I make it public? Or only if I distribute it must I make it public? So does the "and" in section 3 mean "or"? What if the software I make is defective and ok for my internal use (eg., my own script to analyze the logs of my Apache server) but would expose a multi-billion company to major losses if used? Am I not at liberty to only consume it internally or must I expose myself to shame and potential liability? Please note that the disclaimer of liability might be considered null or inapplicable under some jurisdictions (I can name two principles under which it could be invalid under Italian Law). 

Section "termination" does not contain any termination language, but substantial terms. Attribution to "original owner" (who is this?) is mandatory, but attribution to other copyright holders is optional? This would discriminate some copyright holders. 

What does "presented" means in this context? 

Finally Open Source is not "open-source", please avoid such wording [ https://opensource.org/blog/is-open-source-ever-hyphenated | https://opensource.org/blog/is-open-source-ever-hyphenated ] 

At this stage I don't think this license makes the cut to be taken into consideration, I reserve any decision in the light of further discussion, unless this submission is withdrawn. 

All the best, 

Carlo (for the time being, in his personal capacity) 

> Da: "Kevin P. Fleming via License-review" <license-review at lists.opensource.org>
> A: "license-review at lists.opensource.org" <license-review at lists.opensource.org>
> Cc: "Kevin P. Fleming" <lists.osi-license-review at kevin.km6g.us>
> Inviato: Lunedì, 4 maggio 2026 15:02:20
> Oggetto: Re: [License-review] License Submission: Milenium License 1.0

> Hello, and welcome!

> Please review the "How to submit a request" section of the License Review
> Process page: [ https://opensource.org/licenses/review-process |
> https://opensource.org/licenses/review-process ]

> There are a number of details which you will need to provide in addition to the
> license text itself.

> Quickly reading the license, I can see a number of issues.

> The primary one is that Sections 2 and 6 require that anyone who uses the
> license to apply a copyright statement indicating that you are the copyright
> holder, even if you were not involved in the creation of the project which
> wants to use this license. This requirement makes the license non-reusable: it
> can only be used by projects that you create, or derivatives of those projects.

> Section 5 claims to be stating the terms of use of the license itself (not the
> project using the license), but the terms and conditions inside the license
> don't apply to the license itself - any license grant related to the license
> itself would need to be stated separately.

> On Sat, May 2, 2026, at 12:53, Yiğit Hamza wrote:

>> Summary:
>> I am a 9-year-old self-taught software developer and the founder of the Radio
>> Tech's team. I am submitting the Milenium License 1.0 for your official review.
>> This license is built upon the core philosophy of Free Software, aiming to
>> ensure that software remains open, secure, and recognizable throughout its
>> lifecycle.
>> The key differentiators of this license from existing models are:

>>     *
>> Strict Copyleft: It explicitly prohibits any transformation into proprietary or
>> closed-source software under any circumstances.

>>     *
>> Mandatory Lineage (Clause 6): Unlike many other licenses, it requires subsequent
>> forks and derivatives to maintain a clear "pedigree" by preserving the original
>> project's name and designation, ensuring the history of the software is always
>> traceable.

>>     *
>> Validity: The license is only valid as long as all its specific conditions,
>> including the lineage and attribution rules, are strictly followed.

>> License Text:
>> MILENIUM LICENSE 1.0 (FREE SOFTWARE PROJECT)
>> Copyright © 2026 Yiğit Hamza. All rights reserved.
>> 1. GRANT OF LICENSE
>> Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of
>> this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in
>> the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to
>> use, copy, modify, and distribute the Software, subject to the following
>> conditions:
>> 2. ATTRIBUTION
>> Any person who copies and/or modifies this Software must clearly acknowledge and
>> credit the original creator, Yiğit Hamza , within their project's documentation
>> and/or user interface.
>> 3. SHARE-ALIKE & COPYLEFT
>> Any work that utilizes this Software as its foundation or incorporates modified
>> versions of it must be distributed and made publicly available under the same
>> "Milenium License" . The source code of any derivative work must be disclosed
>> to the public.
>> 4. NO PROPRIETARY USE
>> This Software is built upon the philosophy of Free Software. It is STRICTLY
>> PROHIBITED to utilize, distribute, or transform this Software into
>> closed-source or proprietary software. It must remain open-source and free at
>> all times.
>> 5. TERMS OF USE
>> The Milenium License is open for use by all parties, provided that the terms and
>> conditions outlined in this document are strictly adhered to. Unauthorized use
>> beyond these conditions is a violation of this license.
>> 6. PROJECT TRACKING & LINEAGE
>> Users who establish a copyleft project using the Milenium License must include
>> the original credit line "Copyright © 2026 Yiğit Hamza" and immediately below
>> it, state the name of their specific project followed by the word "Project" .
>> All subsequent copies, forks, or derivatives must preserve the original
>> project's name and "Project" designation in their respective license files to
>> maintain clear lineage.
>> 7. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
>> THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
>> IMPLIED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
>> CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
>> OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
>> TERMINATION: THIS SOFTWARE SHALL NEVER BE USED, DISTRIBUTED, OR DEVELOPED AS
>> CLOSED-SOURCE. IT MUST BE DISTRIBUTED, PRESENTED, AND USED EXCLUSIVELY AS
>> OPEN-SOURCE FREE SOFTWARE. ATTRIBUTION TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER IS MANDATORY!

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