# Open Source Initiative (OSI) The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a nonprofit organization founded in February 1998 by [[Eric S. Raymond]] and [[Bruce Perens]] to promote and protect [[Open Source]] software. Following Netscape's source code release, the OSI was created to steward the term "open source" (coined by [[Christine Peterson]]) and maintain the Open Source Definition that determines which licenses qualify. The OSI takes a more business-friendly, pragmatic approach than the [[Free Software Foundation (FSF)]], focusing on the practical benefits of open development rather than ethical arguments about software freedom. It approves licenses, educates about open source, and advocates for open source adoption in government and enterprise. ## Core Functions - **License approval**: Certifies licenses as OSI-approved - **Open Source Definition**: Maintains the 10-point criteria - **Advocacy**: Promotes open source in business and government - **Education**: Resources for understanding open source - **Community**: Connects open source stakeholders ## Open Source Definition (Key Points) 1. Free redistribution 2. Source code included 3. Derived works allowed 4. Integrity of author's source code 5. No discrimination against persons or groups 6. No discrimination against fields of endeavor 7. Distribution of license 8. License not product-specific 9. License not restrictive of other software 10. License technology-neutral ## OSI-Approved Licenses (Selected) - [[MIT License]] - [[Apache 2.0 License]] - [[GNU General Public License (GPL)]] (v2, v3) - [[BSD License]] - [[Affero General Public License (AGPL)]] - Mozilla Public License ## References - https://opensource.org - https://opensource.org/osd - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Initiative ## Related - [[Open Source]] - [[Eric S. Raymond]] - [[Bruce Perens]] - [[Christine Peterson]] - [[Free Software Foundation (FSF)]] - [[Richard Stallman]] - [[Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)]]