OSD && DFSG convergence
Hi. I'm the vice-president of the Open Source Initiative, and I'm
writing to you today in that stead.
We want to explore convergence between the Open Source Definition, and
the Debian Free Software Guidelines. OSI is interested in mending
differences in our community, so that we can stand together.
Is there anything in the OSD which would prevent the Debian project
from adopting it whole cloth? Is there anything the Debian project
would like to see changed in the OSD before it could adopt the OSD?
Regardless of the merits of this proposal, I see two problems with the
current DFSG. One is that software must comply with the DFSG to be a
part of Debian, and yet the DFSG does not admit the possibility of
public-domain unlicensed software. Then again, neither does the OSD,
because we're only applying it to licenses. Another problem is that
the DFSG does not prohibit a license from requiring a specific form of
affirmative assent known as click-wrap. Our recently-passed change to
the OSD fixes that problem.
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