Dotnet Open Source First Governance

Overview

Enforce open-source-first dependency selection with mandatory live license revalidation at review time. Historical OSS status is insufficient; verify current licensing via web search for every dependency selection, upgrade, or review to catch recent licensing changes.

When to Use

• Selecting a new library or tool dependency
• Upgrading any dependency (minor or major version)
• Performing PR, architecture, security, or dependency reviews
• Evaluating alternatives for an existing proprietary or source-available component
• Auditing existing dependencies for license compliance

Core Workflow

1. Prefer open-source: Default to OSS libraries over proprietary or source-available alternatives
2. Perform live web search: Search for current licensing status (not cached/historical data)
3. Verify authoritative sources: Check project homepage, LICENSE file, release notes, issue tracker
4. Confirm exact version license: Verify licensing for the specific version being adopted
5. Check transitive dependencies: Spot-check critical transitives for license changes
6. Document verification: Record license name, verification source(s), and verification date (UTC)
7. Gate on missing verification: Reject or defer proposals without complete license documentation
8. Flag ambiguity: Mark dependency unapproved if licensing cannot be verified confidently

Core

Policy (non-negotiable)

• Strongly prefer open-source tooling and libraries.
• Prefer established OSS libraries over bespoke scripts/frameworks.
• OSS status is time-sensitive and must be revalidated.

Load: checklists

Mandatory: live license verification (web search)

For every dependency selection/upgrade/review, perform a live web search to confirm:

• the component is still open source today,
• the current license (and any dual-license terms) is acceptable,
• no recent licensing change introduces:
  • source-available restrictions,
  • field-of-use or non-commercial limitations,
  • delayed-open clauses,
  • copyleft obligations conflicting with the intended distribution model.

Historical OSS status is insufficient.

Authoritative sources to check (minimum)

• Project homepage / official docs
• Source repository LICENSE file (and recent commits)
• Release notes / official announcements
• Issue tracker discussions relating to licensing changes

Version-specific licensing

• Verify licensing for the exact version being adopted.
• If pinning to an older OSS version, document:
  • rationale,
  • maintenance plan,
  • security posture and upgrade strategy.

Transitive dependencies

• Spot-check critical transitive dependencies for license changes (especially build-time tools and generators).

Load: enforcement

Hard gate (required)

A dependency proposal/PR/ADR is incomplete without:

• License name
• Verification source(s)
• Verification date (UTC)

Default outcome if missing: reject or defer.

Agent rule: automatic revalidation trigger

When encountering a new library, an upgrade, or a dependency review, the agent must:

1. perform a live web search for current licensing,
2. flag ambiguity or recent changes,
3. mark the dependency unapproved if licensing cannot be verified confidently.

Red Flags - STOP

These statements indicate license governance bypass:

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