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Rationale for the Open Source Definition
The intent of the Open Source Definition is to protect the open-source process - to ensure that software distributed under an open-source license will be available for independent peer review and continuous evolutionary improvement and selection, reaching levels of reliability and power no closed product can attain.For the evolutionary process to work, we have to counter short-term incentives for people to stop contributing to the software gene pool. This means the license terms must prevent people from locking up software where very few people can see or modify it.
The Open Source Definition is not, and never will be, a hook to collect license fees. Use of the certification mark is and will remain free to anyone who meets the conditions.
1. Free Redistribution (back)
By constraining the license to require free redistribution, we eliminate the temptation to throw away many long-term gains in order to make a few short-term sales dollars. If we didn't do this, there would be lots of pressure for cooperators to defect.
2. Source Code (back)
We require access to un-obfuscated source code because you can't evolve programs without modifying them. Since our purpose is to make evolution easy, we require that modification be made easy.
3. Derived Works (back)
The mere ability to read source isn't enough to support independent peer review and rapid evolutionary selection. For rapid evolution to happen, people need to be able to experiment with and redistribute modifications.
4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code (back)
Encouraging lots of improvement is a good thing, but users have a right to know who is responsible for the software they are using. Authors and maintainers have reciprocal right to know what they're being asked to support and protect their reputations.Accordingly, an open-source license must guarantee that source be readily available, but may require that it be distributed as pristine base sources plus patches. In this way, "unofficial" changes can be made available but readily distinguished from the base source.
5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups. (back)
In order to get the maximum benefit from the process, the maximum diversity of persons and groups should be equally eligible to contribute to open sources. Therefore we forbid any open-source license from locking anybody out of the process.
6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor. (back)
The major intention of this clause is to prohibit license traps that prevent open source from being used commercially. We want commercial users to join our community, not feel excluded from it.
7. Distribution of License. (back)
This clause is intended to forbid closing up software by indirect means such as requiring a non-disclosure agreement.
8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product. (back)
This clause forecloses yet another class of license traps.
9. License Must Not Contaminate Other Software. (back)
People who want to use or redistribute open-source software have the right to make their own choices about their own software.