diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
index 907b3c43d6a..87f886b7d08 100644
--- a/LICENSE
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -69,40 +69,40 @@ direction to make these releases possible.
 B. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ACCESSING OR OTHERWISE USING PYTHON
 ===============================================================
 
-PSF LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR PYTHON 2.4
-------------------------------------
+PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION LICENSE VERSION 2
+--------------------------------------------
 
 1. This LICENSE AGREEMENT is between the Python Software Foundation
 ("PSF"), and the Individual or Organization ("Licensee") accessing and
-otherwise using Python 2.4 software in source or binary form and its
+otherwise using Python software in source or binary form and its
 associated documentation.
 
 2. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License Agreement, PSF
 hereby grants Licensee a nonexclusive, royalty-free, world-wide
 license to reproduce, analyze, test, perform and/or display publicly,
-prepare derivative works, distribute, and otherwise use Python 2.4
+prepare derivative works, distribute, and otherwise use Python
 alone or in any derivative version, provided, however, that PSF's
 License Agreement and PSF's notice of copyright, i.e., "Copyright (c)
 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Python Software Foundation; All Rights Reserved"
-are retained in Python 2.4 alone or in any derivative version prepared
+are retained in Python alone or in any derivative version prepared
 by Licensee.
 
 3. In the event Licensee prepares a derivative work that is based on
-or incorporates Python 2.4 or any part thereof, and wants to make
+or incorporates Python or any part thereof, and wants to make
 the derivative work available to others as provided herein, then
 Licensee hereby agrees to include in any such work a brief summary of
-the changes made to Python 2.4.
+the changes made to Python.
 
-4. PSF is making Python 2.4 available to Licensee on an "AS IS"
+4. PSF is making Python available to Licensee on an "AS IS"
 basis.  PSF MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
 IMPLIED.  BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, PSF MAKES NO AND
 DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
-FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF PYTHON 2.4 WILL NOT
+FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF PYTHON WILL NOT
 INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY RIGHTS.
 
 5. PSF SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO LICENSEE OR ANY OTHER USERS OF PYTHON
-2.4 FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS AS
-A RESULT OF MODIFYING, DISTRIBUTING, OR OTHERWISE USING PYTHON 2.4,
+FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS AS
+A RESULT OF MODIFYING, DISTRIBUTING, OR OTHERWISE USING PYTHON,
 OR ANY DERIVATIVE THEREOF, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.
 
 6. This License Agreement will automatically terminate upon a material
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ Licensee.  This License Agreement does not grant permission to use PSF
 trademarks or trade name in a trademark sense to endorse or promote
 products or services of Licensee, or any third party.
 
-8. By copying, installing or otherwise using Python 2.4, Licensee
+8. By copying, installing or otherwise using Python, Licensee
 agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of this License
 Agreement.
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 9d91ae4eed1..e12621de7a2 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -9,6 +9,26 @@ What's New in Python 2.4 beta 2?
 
 *Release date: XX-XXX-XXXX*
 
+License
+-------
+
+The Python Software Foundation changed the license under which Python
+is released, to remove Python version numbers.  There were no other
+changes to the license.  So, for example, wherever the license for
+Python 2.3 said "Python 2.3", the new license says "Python".  The
+intent is to make it possible to refer to the PSF license in a more
+durable way.  For example, some people say they're confused by that
+the Open Source Initiative's entry for the Python Software Foundation
+License::
+
+      http://www.opensource.org/licenses/PythonSoftFoundation.php
+
+says "Python 2.1.1" all over it, wondering whether it applies only
+to Python 2.1.1.
+
+The official name of the new license is the Python Software Foundation
+License Version 2.
+
 Core and builtins
 -----------------
 
@@ -83,7 +103,7 @@ What's New in Python 2.4 beta 1?
 Core and builtins
 -----------------
 
-- Patch #975056: Restartable signals were not correctly disabled on 
+- Patch #975056: Restartable signals were not correctly disabled on
   BSD systems. Consistently use PyOS_setsig() instead of signal().
 
 - The internal portable implementation of thread-local storage (TLS), used
@@ -119,7 +139,7 @@ Library
 -------
 
 - Patch 1046644: distutils build_ext grew two new options - --swig for
-  specifying the swig executable to use, and --swig-opts to specify 
+  specifying the swig executable to use, and --swig-opts to specify
   options to pass to swig. --swig-opts="-c++" is the new way to spell
   --swig-cpp.