# Proposal: Add the Slicer license to SPDX license list

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [March 29, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664 "2023-03-29T18:43:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcfr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jcfr/32/17825_2.png) [@jcfr](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jcfr)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664/1 "2023-03-29T18:43:54Z")

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### What is the SPDX License List ?

> The SPDX License List is an integral part of the SPDX Specification. The SPDX License List itself is a list of commonly found licenses and exceptions used in free and open or collaborative software, data, hardware, or documentation. The SPDX License List includes a standardized short identifier, the full name, the license text, and a canonical permanent URL for each license and exception.

See [SPDX License List | Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX)](https://spdx.org/licenses/)

### Why should we add the Slicer license ?

#### Tooling integration

The SPDX license list is used by licensing tooling. See [https://spdx.dev/tools-community/](https://spdx.dev/tools-community/)

#### GitHub integration

Having the license available in the SPDX license list is one of the first step to have the Slicer license detected by GitHub:

- [GitHub Docs / Detecting a license](https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/customizing-your-repository/licensing-a-repository#detecting-a-license)
- [Adding a license](https://github.com/github/choosealicense.com/blob/gh-pages/CONTRIBUTING.md#adding-a-license)

### Steps to add Slicer license to the SPDX list

The request should be submitted following these instructions.  
See [https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)

To streamline the process, we should likely reuse material associated with [Apply for OSI open source license status](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/apply-for-osi-open-source-license-status/17791)

The online tool streamlines the process.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/7/5/752e2173a89bafe43dc6ef9dc9a24750f006278c.png)

**Suggested content for the request:**

_Adapted from [https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user\_guide/about.html#license](https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user_guide/about.html#license)_

1. License Name:  
3D Slicer license

2. Short identifier:  
3d-slicer-license

3. License Author or steward:  
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)

4. Comments:

5. License Request Url:  
TBD

6. URL(s):  
[https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/blob/main/License.txt](https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/blob/main/License.txt)

7. OSI Status:  
Rejected

8. Example Projects:

- [https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer](https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer)
- [https://github.com/Slicer/SlicerExecutionModel](https://github.com/Slicer/SlicerExecutionModel)
- [https://github.com/mhalle/spl-brain-atlas](https://github.com/mhalle/spl-brain-atlas)

```auto

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mhalle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@mhalle](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/mhalle)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664/2 "2023-03-29T19:43:59Z")

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Would this be a good time to get a clean URL for the license? Like [https://slicer.org/license](https://slicer.org/license) ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcfr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jcfr/32/17825_2.png) [@jcfr](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jcfr)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664/3 "2023-03-29T22:50:50Z")

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> [@mhalle](#):
>
> Would this be a good time to get a clean URL for the license?

The following files are already available:

- [https://slicer.org/LICENSE](https://slicer.org/LICENSE) ([https://www.slicer.org/LICENSE](https://www.slicer.org/LICENSE))
- [https://slicer.org/copyright/copyright.txt](https://slicer.org/copyright/copyright.txt) (and also [https://www.slicer.org/copyright/copyright.txt](https://www.slicer.org/copyright/copyright.txt))

We should then reference `https://slicer.org/LICENSE` in the request.

That said, there an issue with the mime-type.

Would you be able to update the server configuration to ensure the file is server with the correct mime-type ?

I think a settings like the should be added:

```auto
location = /LICENSE {
    types { }
    default_type text/html;
}

```

we could also potentially add the following:

```auto
location = /license {
    return 301 https://slicer.org/LICENSE;
}

location = /license.txt {
    return 301 https://slicer.org/LICENSE;
}

```

or even look into having a case-insensitive matching rule …

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mhalle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@mhalle](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/mhalle)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664/4 "2023-03-29T23:47:02Z")

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I don’t have access to [slicer.org](http://slicer.org) at this time. I agree with your proposed changes to the config.

-Mike

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcfr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jcfr/32/17825_2.png) [@jcfr](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jcfr)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 10:19pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664/5 "2023-10-17T22:19:45Z")

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The license has been submitted:

> <https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2213>
>
> \*\*1.\*\* License Name: 3D Slicer license
> 
> \*\*2.\*\* Short identifier: 3d-slicer-lic…ense
> 
> \*\*3.\*\* License Author or steward: Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)
> 
> \*\*4.\*\* Comments:
> 
> \> The 3D Slicer software is distributed under a BSD-style open source license that is broadly compatible with the Open Source Definition by The Open Source Initiative and contains no restrictions on legal uses of the software.
> \> 
> \> ### Historical notes about the license
> \> 
> \> See https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user\_guide/about.html#historical-notes-about-the-license
> \> 
> \> ### License terms and reasons
> \> 
> \> See https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user\_guide/about.html#license-terms-and-reasons
> \> 
> \> ### Status compared to other open source licenses
> \> 
> \> As of June 2021, the Slicer License has been used for over 15 years without incident. In May of 2021, a discourse user \[suggested\](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/apply-for-osi-open-source-license-status/17791) submitting the license to \[the OSI license review process\](https://opensource.org/approval). After some discussion and hearing no objections, the community leadership decided to \[submit the license for review\](https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review\_lists.opensource.org/2021-May/thread.html). Although the OSI process is not legally binding, the discussion could give potential Slicer users perspective on how provisions of the license compare with other commonly used licenses. The discussion concluded that bundling the contribution agreement in the license makes it non-approvable by OSI and the requirement to use the software for legal purposes may not be consistent with the \[Open Source Definition\](https://opensource.org/osd). Otherwise the license terms appear not to be controversial. Interested parties should review the \[full discussion\](https://lists.opensource.org/pipermail/license-review\_lists.opensource.org/2021-June/thread.html#5166) for details.
> \> 
> \> Copied from https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user\_guide/about.html#status-compared-to-other-open-source-licenses
> 
> \*\*5.\*\* License Request Url: http://tools.spdx.org/app/license\_requests/312
> 
> \*\*6.\*\* URL(s):
> \* https://slicer.org/LICENSE
> \* https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/blob/main/License.txt
> 
> \*\*7.\*\* OSI Status: Rejected
> 
> \*\*8.\*\* Example Projects:
> \* https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer
> \* https://github.com/Slicer/SlicerExecutionModel
> \* https://github.com/mhalle/spl-brain-atlas

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcfr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jcfr/32/17825_2.png) [@jcfr](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jcfr)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/proposal-add-the-slicer-license-to-spdx-license-list/28664/6 "2024-05-09T17:22:14Z")

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✅ The review process has been completed and the Slicer license is being added to the SPDX license list v3.24.

📖 Reviewing notes are available at [New license request: 3D-Slicer-1.0 · Issue #2213 · spdx/license-list-XML · GitHub](https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/issues/2213)

🙏 Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and helped move the process forward.