The unexpected outcome of the Open Source Seed Initiative's licensing debate (Opensource.com)
Over at Opensource.com, Jack Kloppenburg—one of the founders of the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) that is trying to apply open source ideas to the genetic material in plant seeds—describes the switch from a licensing approach to that of a "pledge". "In February of 2014, OSSI made the hard but considered decision to abandon efforts to develop a legally defensible license and to shift to a pledge. This moves OSSI’s discourse and action from the legal field to the terrain of norms and ethics. We have found this shift to be stimulating, reinvigorating, and productive. The licensing approach was pulling us into a policing and bureaucratic orientation that was not congenial. Although our pledge is likely not legally binding, it is easily transmissible, it is viral, it is an uncompromising commitment to free exchange and use, and it is a very effective tool for outreach and education."