Editing Open Software License (section)

{{Short description|Software license}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox software license
| name            = Open Software License
| image           = 
| caption         =
| author=Lawrence Rosen
| version         = 3.0
| copyright       = 2002, Lawrence Rosen
| OSI approved    = Yes
| Debian approved = 
| Free Software   = Yes<ref name=gnu/>
| GPL compatible  = No<ref name=gnu/>
| copyleft        = Yes
| linking         = 
}}
The '''Open Software License''' ('''OSL''')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensource.org/licenses/osl-3.0.php |title=Open Source Initiative OSI – The Open Software License 3.0 (OSL-3.0:Licensing &#124; Open Source Initiative |date=October 31, 2006 |publisher=Opensource.org |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref> is a [[software license]] created by [[Lawrence Rosen (attorney)|Lawrence Rosen]]. The [[Open Source Initiative]] (OSI) has certified it as an [[open-source license]], but the [[Debian]] project judged version 1.1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.debian.org/DFSGLicenses#Open_Software_License_.28OSL.29_v1.1 |title=DFSGLicenses – Debian Wiki |publisher=Wiki.debian.org |date=2012-02-28 |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://opensource.org/licenses/osl.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501235731/http://opensource.org/licenses/osl.php |archive-date=2006-05-01 |title=Open Source Initiative OSI - The "Open Software License":Licensing |publisher=Opensource.org |date=2006-05-01 |access-date=2012-10-15}}</ref> to be [[License compatibility|incompatible]] with the [[DFSG]]. The OSL is a [[copyleft]] license, with a termination clause triggered by filing a lawsuit alleging patent infringement.

Many people in the [[FOSS|free software and open-source community]] feel that [[software patent]]s are harmful to software, and are particularly harmful to [[open-source software]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2006/tc20060206_503666.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208030220/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2006/tc20060206_503666.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 8, 2006 |title=BusinessWeek |date=2006-02-06 |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref> The OSL attempts to counteract that by creating a pool of software which a user can use if that user does not harm it by attacking it with a patent lawsuit.