# Outreach Letter: Open Source Initiative

**Date:** 22 November 2025
**To:** Open Source Initiative
**From:** Palimpsest Stewardship Council
**Subject:** Extending Open Source Principles to Creative Works and AI Training

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Dear Open Source Initiative,

We write to you with deep appreciation for OSI's role in defining, promoting, and protecting open source software. The Open Source Definition has become the global standard for determining whether a software license truly enables collaborative development whilst protecting against appropriation.

## The Palimpsest License: Open Principles for Creative Expression

The **Palimpsest License** applies open source principles—transparency, attribution, and community governance—to creative works facing novel challenges in the artificial intelligence era. Whilst OSI rightfully focuses on software licensing, we address parallel concerns for narrative creators, cultural heritage stewards, and artists whose works are increasingly consumed by AI training systems.

## Shared Principles, Adjacent Domains

### 1. Transparency
Just as the OSD requires source code availability, Palimpsest requires:
- **Disclosure of AI training use** – Systems must acknowledge when they've been trained on specific works
- **Synthetic lineage tags** – AI-generated content must reveal its training sources
- **Metadata preservation** – Attribution information cannot be stripped

### 2. Attribution
The OSD mandates proper credit; Palimpsest extends this to:
- **Symbolic attribution** – Credit that preserves cultural context, not just legal names
- **Persistent attribution** – Metadata that survives AI transformations
- **Quantum-proof traceability** – Future-resistant attribution mechanisms

### 3. No Discrimination
Just as open source must not discriminate against persons or fields of endeavour, Palimpsest:
- Allows commercial use with appropriate attribution
- Enables AI training **with informed consent**
- Supports diverse attribution methods (direct, indirect, thematic, environmental)

### 4. Community Governance
Following open source's collaborative ethos, Palimpsest features:
- **Transparent governance** via the Palimpsest Stewardship Council
- **Community-driven evolution** with public proposal processes
- **Collective licensing** support for works owned by communities or DAOs

## Why This Matters to Open Source Communities

Open source projects increasingly incorporate creative works beyond code:

1. **Documentation and Tutorials** – Narrative explanations, cultural context, and pedagogical frameworks that deserve protection from contextless AI extraction.

2. **Project Branding and Identity** – Logos, names, cultural references, and community narratives that embody symbolic meaning beyond trademark law.

3. **Training Data Transparency** – AI systems trained on open source repositories consume not just code but commit messages, issue discussions, and community knowledge—often without meaningful attribution.

4. **Cultural Values in Code** – Many projects embody cultural principles, community ethics, and collective narratives that risk erasure when extracted for AI training.

## Legal Framework

Palimpsest operates under Dutch law (primary jurisdiction) with Scottish court enforcement, using a bilingual (Dutch/English) framework. Governance follows transparent, community-driven processes through the **Palimpsest Stewardship Council**.

## Complementary, Not Competitive

We emphasise that Palimpsest is **not an open source license** and does not seek OSI approval. Rather, it addresses adjacent licensing needs:

- **Software** → Open source licenses (OSI-approved)
- **Creative works with cultural/emotional significance** → Palimpsest
- **Hybrid projects** → Dual licensing (e.g., code under MIT, documentation under Palimpsest)

This is analogous to how Creative Commons addresses creative works whilst OSI addresses software—complementary frameworks serving related but distinct needs.

## Proposed Collaboration Opportunities

We would welcome OSI's perspective and potential collaboration in the following areas:

### 1. Licensing Education
Helping open source communities understand:
- When OSI-approved licenses suffice for all project assets
- When additional creative work protections may be appropriate
- How to implement dual licensing (software + creative content)

### 2. Metadata Standards
Developing machine-readable licensing metadata that works across both software licenses (SPDX) and creative work licenses (including Palimpsest).

### 3. AI Training Ethics
Collaborating on positions regarding:
- AI training on open source repositories
- Attribution requirements for AI-generated code
- Consent mechanisms for training on project documentation and community discussions

### 4. Case Studies
Documenting how open source projects balance:
- Code openness (OSI licenses)
- Creative content protection (Palimpsest or similar)
- Community cultural values
- AI training considerations

### 5. Governance Models
Sharing insights on community-driven license stewardship, drawing from OSI's decades of experience maintaining the Open Source Definition.

## Invitation to Dialogue

We recognise that OSI's mandate concerns software licensing specifically, and we respect that focus. We seek OSI's wisdom as we apply parallel principles to adjacent domains, and we welcome opportunities to learn from your experience stewarding open source principles.

Would you be available for a conversation regarding these themes? We are flexible regarding format and timing.

## Contact Information

**Palimpsest Stewardship Council**
Email: [contact information to be provided]
Repository: https://github.com/[repository-path]
Documentation: [documentation URL]

Thank you for your consideration. The Open Source Initiative has demonstrated that clear licensing principles enable global collaboration whilst protecting against appropriation. We aspire to extend those insights to creative expression in the age of artificial intelligence.

With respect for your mission and work,

**The Palimpsest Stewardship Council**

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## Appendices Available Upon Request

- Full text of Palimpsest License v0.4 (English and Dutch)
- Comparative analysis: Open source principles and Palimpsest protections
- Technical specifications for synthetic lineage tags
- Case studies: Dual licensing for software + creative content
- Governance framework documentation
