OSI (Open Software Initiative)

A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open source software and maintaining the Open Source Definition.

The OSI is the global steward of the Open Source Definition (OSD), serving as the recognized authority for validating licenses as "open source." While it does not host projects or develop software directly, its accreditation is critical for legal clarity and ecosystem interoperability. In the commercial open source (COSS) context, OSI compliance is a foundational signal of legitimacy, ensuring that the "open source" label retains a consistent meaning across the industry. COSSA aligns with OSI definitions to maintain trust and protect the term from "open-washing," while building complementary frameworks to address commercialization and company-building.