FSF Updates By-Laws - Tighter Approval Process For New/Updated Licenses

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Board of Directors has adopted updated by-laws that go into place next month with an aim of further protecting copyleft licensing.

Most significant with the updated by-laws are tightening the approval process for drafting and publishing of new/updated licenses: now a super-majority (66%) vote in favor is needed.

The key changes as summarized by the FSF board include:

- Formally establishing that the board will include staff member as a full voting member and director who has been elected to serve by unionized staff of the FSF. This codifies a board practice that has been in place since March 2021, and held by FSF senior sysadmin Ian Kelling; and

- Requiring a supermajority vote (66%) of the directors to approve the drafting or publication of any new copyright license or a new version of any existing copyright license. This provision applies to all FSF licenses, including any GNU copyright license.

More details on the updated Free Software Foundation by-laws via FSF.org.

This follows a number of FSF board changes in recent years such as adopting a Code of Ethics for board members.