Switch to permissive copyright license?

[wseltzer]

Several members have requested (thread) that W3C switch its specifications to a permissive license, the Software and Document License, for continuity planning.

The WebAuthn charter (current and proposed re-charter) states "This Working Group will use the W3C Document License for all its deliverables."

The key difference between the two licenses is the anti-forking provisions of the Document license:

No right to create modifications or derivatives of W3C documents is granted pursuant to this license, except as follows: To facilitate implementation of the technical specifications set forth in this document, anyone may prepare and distribute derivative works and portions of this document in software, in supporting materials accompanying software, and in documentation of software, PROVIDED that all such works include the notice below. HOWEVER, the publication of derivative works of this document for use as a technical specification is expressly prohibited.

while the Software and Document License grants

Permission to copy, modify, and distribute this work, with or without modification, for any purpose and without fee or royalty is hereby granted, provided that you include the following [attribution] on ALL copies of the work or portions thereof, including modifications...

• Does the WG want to move its work to the Software and Document License?
• If so, should we also re-license earlier specs (Levels 1 and 2)?