Re: OSI Adopts SPDX IDs for License URLs
Simon Phipps <[email protected]> Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:26:17 +0000
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.licenses.open-source.general |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CAA4ffp_xT9O=mFOVMh23DJjbSGHMmdX=jR=KNuZV-f5QaM74xA@mail.gmail.com> |
--===============7612656747701667983== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000c88644064cb302bf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --000000000000c88644064cb302bf Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I agree with Richard here. The -only and -or-later variants are all deployment options for the GPL licenses and do not reflect the licenses that OSI has actually approved, which embrace both variants. Simon (in a personal capacity) On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 9:00=E2=80=AFPM Richard Fontana via License-discuss= < [email protected]> wrote: > I agree with the comment. SPDX's replacement of GPL-2.0/GPL-2.0+ with > "GPL-2.0-only"/"GPL-2.0-or-later" (etc.) (at the instigation of the > FSF) has been pretty much a complete debacle IMO, but "GPL-2.0" > continues to be a valid SPDX identifier and I think it is usefully > used for things like this where the license is one level of > abstraction removed from its actual application to some sort of > licensable material. > > Richard > > On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 11:19=E2=80=AFAM Nick Vidal <nick.vidal@opensourc= e.org> > wrote: > > > > Cross posting comment from ferdnyc at > https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2959#issuecomment-4018341= 555 > > > > I wanted to bring up the GPL specifically: I notice that OSI is listing > all of the GPL versions as "GPL-X.Y-only" (and in fact, URLs like > https://opensource.org/license/GPL-3.0-or-later result in a 404 error), > but the license text displayed at > https://opensource.org/license/GPL-3.0-only has a "How to Apply These > Terms..." section that includes the "either version 3 of the License, or > (at your option) any later version." text, making it appear to be > GPL-3.0-or-later. > > > > (In truth, AIUI the FSF doesn't differentiate between GPL-3.0-only and > GPL-3.0-or-later themselves, the difference is in how you choose to apply > the license to your work. But in light of that, calling the license > "GPL-3.0-only" doesn't appear to be correct... it's either just "GPL-3.0"= , > or it's "GPL-3.0-or-later" (as it allows for the "any later version" > stipulation, or it's BOTH.) > > > > On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 9:16=E2=80=AFAM Nick Vidal <nick.vidal@opensour= ce.org> > wrote: > >> > >> Hi everyone, > >> > >> The OSI is looking for feedback from the community about an important > change to the OSI-Approved licenses listed on our website. > >> > >> We've standardized OSI license URLs using SPDX identifiers, while > carefully preserving compatibility with the many links that already exist > across the web and tools. > >> > >> The full set of OSI-approved licenses continues to be available at: > >> > >> https://opensource.org/licenses > >> > >> More details about the update is available here: > >> > >> https://opensource.org/blog/osi-adopts-spdx-ids-for-license-urls > >> > >> If you spot any broken links or odd behaviour, please let us know. > >> > >> Feel free to reach out to us by replying to this mailing list or by > commenting here: > >> > >> https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2959 > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Nick > > > > _______________________________________________ > > The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and not > necessarily those of the Open Source Initiative. Official statements by t= he > Open Source Initiative will be sent from an opensource.org email address. > > > > License-discuss mailing list > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.opensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-discuss_lists.openso= urce.org > > > _______________________________________________ > The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and not > necessarily those of the Open Source Initiative. Official statements by t= he > Open Source Initiative will be sent from an opensource.org email address. > > License-discuss mailing list > [email protected] > > http://lists.opensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-discuss_lists.openso= urce.org > --000000000000c88644064cb302bf Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">I agree with Richard here. The -only and -or-later variant= s are all deployment options for the GPL licenses and do not reflect the li= censes that OSI has actually approved, which embrace both variants.<div><br= ></div><div>Simon</div><div>(in a personal capacity)</div></div><br><div cl= ass=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_a= ttr">On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 9:00=E2=80=AFPM Richard Fontana via License-di= scuss <<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">license-d= [email protected]</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gm= ail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,= 204,204);padding-left:1ex">I agree with the comment. SPDX's replacement= of GPL-2.0/GPL-2.0+ with<br> "GPL-2.0-only"/"GPL-2.0-or-later" (etc.) (at the instig= ation of the<br> FSF) has been pretty much a complete debacle IMO, but "GPL-2.0"<b= r> continues to be a valid SPDX identifier and I think it is usefully<br> used for things like this where the license is one level of<br> abstraction removed from its actual application to some sort of<br> licensable material.<br> <br> Richard<br> <br> On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 11:19=E2=80=AFAM Nick Vidal <<a href=3D"mailto:n= [email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&g= t; wrote:<br> ><br> > Cross posting comment from ferdnyc at <a href=3D"https://github.com/sp= dx/license-list-XML/issues/2959#issuecomment-4018341555" rel=3D"noreferrer"= target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2959#iss= uecomment-4018341555</a><br> ><br> > I wanted to bring up the GPL specifically: I notice that OSI is listin= g all of the GPL versions as "GPL-X.Y-only" (and in fact, URLs li= ke <a href=3D"https://opensource.org/license/GPL-3.0-or-later" rel=3D"noref= errer" target=3D"_blank">https://opensource.org/license/GPL-3.0-or-later</a= > result in a 404 error), but the license text displayed at <a href=3D"http= s://opensource.org/license/GPL-3.0-only" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blan= k">https://opensource.org/license/GPL-3.0-only</a> has a "How to Apply= These Terms..." section that includes the "either version 3 of t= he License, or (at your option) any later version." text, making it ap= pear to be GPL-3.0-or-later.<br> ><br> > (In truth, AIUI the FSF doesn't differentiate between GPL-3.0-only= and GPL-3.0-or-later themselves, the difference is in how you choose to ap= ply the license to your work. But in light of that, calling the license &qu= ot;GPL-3.0-only" doesn't appear to be correct... it's either j= ust "GPL-3.0", or it's "GPL-3.0-or-later" (as it al= lows for the "any later version" stipulation, or it's BOTH.)<= br> ><br> > On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 9:16=E2=80=AFAM Nick Vidal <<a href=3D"mail= to:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</= a>> wrote:<br> >><br> >> Hi everyone,<br> >><br> >> The OSI is looking for feedback from the community about an import= ant change to the OSI-Approved licenses listed on our website.<br> >><br> >> We've standardized OSI license URLs using SPDX identifiers, wh= ile carefully preserving compatibility with the many links that already exi= st across the web and tools.<br> >><br> >> The full set of OSI-approved licenses continues to be available at= :<br> >><br> >> <a href=3D"https://opensource.org/licenses" rel=3D"noreferrer" tar= get=3D"_blank">https://opensource.org/licenses</a><br> >><br> >> More details about the update is available here:<br> >><br> >> <a href=3D"https://opensource.org/blog/osi-adopts-spdx-ids-for-lic= ense-urls" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://opensource.org/blog= /osi-adopts-spdx-ids-for-license-urls</a><br> >><br> >> If you spot any broken links or odd behaviour, please let us know.= <br> >><br> >> Feel free to reach out to us by replying to this mailing list or b= y commenting here:<br> >><br> >> <a href=3D"https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2959" r= el=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XM= L/issues/2959</a><br> >><br> >> Thanks,<br> >> Nick<br> ><br> > _______________________________________________<br> > The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and not n= ecessarily those of the Open Source Initiative. Official statements by the = Open Source Initiative will be sent from an <a href=3D"http://opensource.or= g" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">opensource.org</a> email address.<b= r> ><br> > License-discuss mailing list<br> > <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_bla= nk">[email protected]</a><br> > <a href=3D"http://lists.opensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-discus= s_lists.opensource.org" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://lists.o= pensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-discuss_lists.opensource.org</a><br> <br> <br> _______________________________________________<br> The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and not necess= arily those of the Open Source Initiative. Official statements by the Open = Source Initiative will be sent from an <a href=3D"http://opensource.org" re= l=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">opensource.org</a> email address.<br> <br> License-discuss mailing list<br> <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">L= [email protected]</a><br> <a href=3D"http://lists.opensource.org/mailman/listinfo/license-discuss_lis= ts.opensource.org" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://lists.openso= urce.org/mailman/listinfo/license-discuss_lists.opensource.org</a><br> </blockquote></div> --000000000000c88644064cb302bf-- --===============7612656747701667983== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: inline X19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX18KVGhlIG9waW5p b25zIGV4cHJlc3NlZCBpbiB0aGlzIGVtYWlsIGFyZSB0aG9zZSBvZiB0aGUgc2VuZGVyIGFuZCBu b3QgbmVjZXNzYXJpbHkgdGhvc2Ugb2YgdGhlIE9wZW4gU291cmNlIEluaXRpYXRpdmUuIE9mZmlj aWFsIHN0YXRlbWVudHMgYnkgdGhlIE9wZW4gU291cmNlIEluaXRpYXRpdmUgd2lsbCBiZSBzZW50 IGZyb20gYW4gb3BlbnNvdXJjZS5vcmcgZW1haWwgYWRkcmVzcy4KCkxpY2Vuc2UtZGlzY3VzcyBt YWlsaW5nIGxpc3QKTGljZW5zZS1kaXNjdXNzQGxpc3RzLm9wZW5zb3VyY2Uub3JnCmh0dHA6Ly9s aXN0cy5vcGVuc291cmNlLm9yZy9tYWlsbWFuL2xpc3RpbmZvL2xpY2Vuc2UtZGlzY3Vzc19saXN0 cy5vcGVuc291cmNlLm9yZwo= --===============7612656747701667983==--