[resolution] Replace CLA with DCO for all contributions

Agree with the foundation's move to require a DCO from
OpenStack's contributors in lieu of the CLA as part of
their move under the Linux Foundation. [1]

Signed-off-by: Goutham Pacha Ravi <gouthampravi@gmail.com>
[1] https://lists.openinfra.org/archives/list/foundation@lists.openinfra.org/thread/PXMTX67TRL2B4ONICTT2E2XZLG4J4LAL/
Change-Id: I471d908f1f331ef0e91050a51f9afdf928cc3ef5

resolutions/20250520-replace-the-cla-with-dco-for-all-contributions.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+=====================================================
+2025-05-20 Replace CLA with DCO for all contributions
+=====================================================
+
+The OpenStack community has required contributors to sign a
+Contributor License Agreement (CLA) before submitting code
+contributions. This process has addressed legal and organizational
+needs but has long been seen as being cumbersome to the contribution process
+and imposes administrative overhead.
+
+The OpenStack Technical Committee (TC) `requested
+in 2014`_ that the Foundation Board of Directors implement
+the `Developer Certificate of Origin`_ (DCO) as the Contributor
+License Agreement (CLA) for the OpenStack project. The DCO is a
+simpler, developer-affirmed certification that contributors
+have the right to submit the code they are contributing.
+We are pleased that the Foundation board has now found
+this `transition feasible`_.
+
+The OpenStack Technical Committee approves the transition from a
+CLA-based contribution model to a Developer Certificate of Origin
+(DCO) model. The move aligns us with governance practices in other large open
+source projects, like the Linux Kernel, and will streamline our contributor
+experience.
+
+The OpenStack Technical Committee therefore resolves to:
+
+- Replace the Contributor License Agreement (CLA) with the Developer
+  Certificate of Origin (DCO) as the core legal framework for contributions to
+  OpenStack projects.
+- Set the transition effective date to **July 1, 2025**. From that
+  date, all commits to OpenStack repositories must include a valid
+  `Signed-off-by` line in the commit message as stated in the DCO.
+- Direct the OpenDev Infrastructure team to enforce DCO compliance on the
+  OpenStack `code review system`_, i.e., require a valid DCO sign-off for
+  all new commits.
+- Ensure that the OpenStack Contributor Documentation features the Developer
+  Certificate of Origin and includes clear and practical guidance for
+  contributors on how to sign their commits and what the sign-off represents.
+- Encourage OpenStack project maintainers to update their own contributor
+  documentation to point to the OpenStack Contributor Documentation regarding
+  the DCO. We don't need to reproduce the DCO within project documentation
+  or the source code. All existing documents referring to the prior CLA have to
+  be modified to remove that information.
+- Clarify that existing contributors **will not** be required to retroactively
+  sign or re-submit anything. However, all new commits made on or after
+  July 1, 2025 must adhere to the DCO requirements. Changes already uploaded to
+  the code review system need not be modified just to include the
+  `Signed-off-by` line in the commit message. However, when changes need to be
+  modified for other reasons, the commit message must be amended to include the
+  `Signed-off-by` line.
+
+This adoption of the DCO will lower the barrier to contribution, reduce
+administrative burden, and bring OpenStack in line with best practices across
+the open-source world. It's a key step towards a more accessible and welcoming
+OpenStack.
+
+.. _requested in 2014: ../resolutions/20140909-cla.html
+.. _Developer Certificate of Origin: https://developercertificate.org/
+.. _transition feasible: https://lists.openinfra.org/archives/list/foundation@lists.openinfra.org/thread/PXMTX67TRL2B4ONICTT2E2XZLG4J4LAL/
+.. _code review system: https://review.opendev.org