# Outreach Letter: Linux Foundation

**Date:** 22 November 2025
**To:** The Linux Foundation
**From:** Palimpsest Stewardship Council
**Subject:** Collaborative Frameworks for Protecting Open Source Cultural Heritage

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Dear Linux Foundation,

We write to you with profound respect for the Linux Foundation's role in nurturing the world's most important open source projects and fostering collaborative development at unprecedented scale. From the Linux kernel to Kubernetes, from Node.js to Let's Encrypt, your stewardship has enabled transformative technologies whilst building vibrant, diverse communities.

## The Palimpsest License: Protecting Community Cultural Assets

The **Palimpsest License** addresses an emerging challenge for open source ecosystems: how to protect the cultural heritage, community knowledge, and narrative documentation that surrounds technical projects whilst maintaining code openness and collaborative development.

## Why This Matters to Linux Foundation Projects

Linux Foundation projects increasingly grapple with challenges beyond code licensing:

### 1. Documentation as Cultural Heritage
Projects like Kubernetes, CNCF initiatives, and LF Edge produce extensive documentation that embodies:
- Collective architectural wisdom
- Community decision-making narratives
- Cultural practices around contribution and governance
- Educational materials reflecting diverse global perspectives

### 2. AI Training on Open Repositories
Generative AI systems now train on:
- Issue discussions and RFC processes
- Commit messages and code review comments
- Documentation and architectural decision records
- Community governance documents and decision histories

This extraction often strips cultural context and community attribution, potentially commodifying collective knowledge without benefit-sharing or consent.

### 3. Multi-Stakeholder Governance
Many LF projects serve diverse communities—from individual developers to multinational corporations to governmental organisations. Balancing their interests requires nuanced licensing that protects community cultural assets whilst enabling commercial participation.

### 4. Global Cultural Sensitivity
As LF projects serve global communities, they increasingly engage with:
- Indigenous knowledge systems
- Diaspora technical communities
- Cultural heritage in localisation efforts
- Narrative traditions in documentation

## How Palimpsest Complements Existing LF Licensing

Palimpsest is **not a code license**. It addresses adjacent domains:

### For Software Code
Existing LF-approved licenses (Apache 2.0, GPL, MIT, etc.) remain appropriate and effective.

### For Cultural and Narrative Content
Palimpsest protects:
- **Community governance documents** – Preserving cultural practices and decision-making narratives
- **Architectural documentation** – Maintaining attribution for collective wisdom
- **Educational materials** – Protecting pedagogical frameworks from contextless extraction
- **Cultural heritage assets** – Ensuring respectful use of community cultural contributions

### Potential Dual Licensing Model
```
lf-project/
├── code/                    # Apache 2.0 or GPL
├── docs/                    # Palimpsest (with AI training consent)
├── governance/              # Palimpsest (cultural heritage protection)
└── localisation/cultural/   # Palimpsest (indigenous/diaspora content)
```

## Key Palimpsest Features for LF Communities

### 1. Informed Consent for AI Training
Communities can specify whether their documentation and governance narratives may be used to train AI systems, ensuring collective control over how community knowledge is commodified.

### 2. Cultural Context Preservation
Mandates that attribution must preserve:
- Community authorship and governance practices
- Cultural context in decision-making narratives
- Symbolic meaning in project naming and identity
- Collective ownership models (DAOs, cooperatives, indigenous councils)

### 3. Quantum-Proof Traceability
Implements future-resistant attribution mechanisms using synthetic lineage tags that persist through AI transformations and technological evolution.

### 4. Multi-Jurisdictional Framework
Operates under Dutch law (primary) with Scottish court enforcement—providing European legal grounding whilst remaining globally accessible through bilingual (Dutch/English) documentation.

## Legal Framework and Governance

The **Palimpsest Stewardship Council** governs through transparent, multi-stakeholder processes that reflect LF's own commitment to neutral governance and broad community participation. Our seven-member council includes creator representatives, legal experts, technologists, and cultural heritage advocates.

## Proposed Collaboration Opportunities

We would welcome the Linux Foundation's perspective and potential partnership in the following areas:

### 1. Best Practices for Mixed Licensing
Developing guidance for LF projects on:
- When code licenses suffice for all project assets
- When cultural or narrative content warrants separate licensing
- How to implement dual licensing with clear SPDX metadata
- Community consensus processes for licensing decisions

### 2. Cultural Heritage in Open Source
Exploring frameworks for:
- Protecting indigenous technical knowledge
- Preserving diaspora community contributions
- Maintaining cultural context in globalisation efforts
- Supporting community cultural governance

### 3. AI Training Ethics and Transparency
Collaborating on positions regarding:
- AI systems training on LF project repositories
- Attribution requirements for AI-generated documentation
- Consent mechanisms for community knowledge extraction
- Revenue sharing when AI systems commodify collective wisdom

### 4. Governance Models and Tooling
Sharing insights on:
- Multi-stakeholder governance for cultural assets
- Community consent processes for licensing decisions
- Technical tooling for metadata and attribution (SPDX integration)
- Cultural impact assessment frameworks

### 5. Educational Resources
Creating materials for LF communities on:
- Cultural heritage protection in open source
- Licensing options for diverse project assets
- Balancing openness with community cultural sovereignty
- AI training considerations for documentation and governance

## Invitation to Dialogue

We would be honoured to present the Palimpsest framework to Linux Foundation leadership and relevant technical advisory boards. We recognise that LF serves diverse projects with varying needs, and we welcome the opportunity to explore where Palimpsest might complement existing licensing frameworks.

Would you be available for an initial conversation? We are flexible regarding format—whether presenting to a working group, participating in a summit, or engaging in written exchange.

## 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 Linux Foundation has demonstrated that neutral, transparent governance can enable collaboration at global scale whilst respecting diverse community needs. We aspire to extend those principles to protecting the cultural heritage and collective knowledge that makes open source communities truly transformative.

With profound respect for your stewardship,

**The Palimpsest Stewardship Council**

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## Appendices Available Upon Request

- Full text of Palimpsest License v0.4 (English and Dutch)
- Dual licensing strategies for code + cultural content
- SPDX metadata specifications for mixed-license projects
- Case studies: Cultural heritage protection in technical communities
- Governance framework for multi-stakeholder cultural assets
