Favorite Members Newsletter – May 2026 Dear OSI community, As I write this, I’m starting my fourth week at the OSI. So far I’ve been balancing my time between staff briefings, sponsor and partner meetings, and coming up to speed on operations and our small-but-mighty team. I expect my listening tour will continue for a…
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Maintainer Month 2026: Celebrating the People Who Keep Open Source Running
Favorite Update: the OSI has published a page dedicated to maintainers. May is Maintainer Month once again, a time for the Open Source community to recognize, support, and celebrate the maintainers who keep critical digital infrastructure running. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is proud to join GitHub and a global community of contributors in honoring…
The 2026 State of Open Source Report
Favorite Open source software has long been viewed as a tactical decision — something engineering teams adopted to move faster or reduce licensing costs. But the data from the 2026 State of Open Source Report by Perforce OpenLogic (produced in collaboration with OSI and the Eclipse Foundation) suggests that the mindset has changed. This year’s…
Hello From The New Executive Director
Favorite When I was saying goodbye to my last team, one of the final things I said to them was “Leading this organization has been the honor of my career.” I should have added “so far.” I am grateful for the trust the board has placed in me, and I’m honored to be entrusted to…
Welcoming the New Executive Director!
Favorite Members Newsletter – April 2026 Dear OSI supporters, The news you’ve all been waiting for has arrived – OSI’s new Executive Director, Duane O’Brien, is on the job effective April 13th. Many of you may already know Duane. For those who have not yet had the pleasure, Duane is a long-time Open Source leader…
Welcoming Duane O’Brien as Executive Director of the Open Source Initiative
Favorite This is a critical moment for the Open Source Initiative. As Open Source continues to shape global technology, policy, and digital infrastructure, the need for clear stewardship and strong leadership has only grown. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’m thrilled to welcome Duane O’Brien as OSI’s new Executive Director. Duane brings a…
Open Source Initiative Appoints Duane O’Brien as Executive Director
Favorite Veteran Open Source leader brings decades of experience advancing sustainability, collaboration and responsible participation across the Open Source ecosystem. SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2026 — The Open Source Initiative (OSI), globally recognized as the steward of the Open Source Definition, today announced the appointment of Duane O’Brien as its new executive director. O’Brien is…
ClearlyDefined: A Three-Year Roadmap for Sustainability and Growth
Favorite At FOSDEM earlier this year, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and AboutCode formalized their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement delegates the day-to-day operations of ClearlyDefined to AboutCode, ensuring the project’s long-term sustainability, continued development, and broader impact across the Open Source ecosystem. ClearlyDefined has long served as a community resource…
Open Education and the Shared Roots of Openness
Favorite Members Newsletter – March 2026 Dear OSI supporters, Every March, Open Education Week invites us to reflect on something that will feel familiar to everyone in this community: the idea that knowledge is most powerful when it is freely accessible, adaptable, and shared. It is a principle that open education and Open Source have…
OSI Adopts SPDX IDs for License URLs
Favorite For more than 25 years, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) website has been a central reference point for Open Source licenses. Over that time, our site has evolved through multiple redesigns, content management systems, and infrastructure migrations. As a result, license pages accumulated a variety of URL formats, including some ending in html, php,…