Debian Free Software Guidelines.

About Debian Free Software Guidelines

The Open Source Definition (OSD) is a policy document published by the Open Source Initiative in 1998. Derived from the Debian Free Software Guidelines written by Bruce Perens, the OSD is the predominant standard for open-source software. The definition has ten criteria, such as requiring freely accessed source code and granting the open-source rights to everyone who receives a copy of the program. Covering both copyleft and permissive licenses, it is effectively identical to the definition of free software, but motivated by more pragmatic and business-friendly considerations. The Open Source Initiative's board votes on proposals of licenses to certify that they are compliant with the definition, and maintains a list of compliant licenses on its website. The definition has been adapted into the Open Knowledge Foundation's Open Definition for open knowledge and into open hardware definitions.