# The Insight Software Consortium reaffirms the Open Software Initiative's Open Source Definition
**URL:** https://discourse.itk.org/t/the-insight-software-consortium-reaffirms-the-open-software-initiatives-open-source-definition/1950
**Category:** Community
**Created:** [June 8, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/the-insight-software-consortium-reaffirms-the-open-software-initiatives-open-source-definition/1950 "2019-06-08T17:04:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jhlegarreta](https://discourse.itk.org/u/jhlegarreta)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/the-insight-software-consortium-reaffirms-the-open-software-initiatives-open-source-definition/1950/1 "2019-06-08T17:04:01Z")
Earlier this year, the concept of open-source software was challenged by software that was being licensed under very specific clauses that brought controversy to the open-source software community.
Following this controversy, the Open Software Initiative made a public call to organizations to [sign a public affirmation](https://opensource.org/node/966) of its role in maintaining and stewarding the [Open Source Definition](https://opensource.org/docs/osd).
The [Open Software Initiative](https://opensource.org/) (OSI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open-source software since 1998. The organization has been instrumental in combatting legal terms and clauses in licenses that may be detrimental to the open-source ecosystem. The OSI promotes understanding of the true meaning of open-source software.
The [Insight Software Consortium](https://www.insightsoftwareconsortium.org/) board unanimously voted to support the Open Software Initiative’s unequivocal stance of the Open Source Definition in its last meeting.
The Insight Software Consortium expressly supports the Open Software Initiative’s [public affirmation](https://opensource.org/node/966).
The Insight Software Consortium encourages all of its software ecosystem to be licensed under the Apache 2.0 or similar [OSI-approved licenses](https://opensource.org/licenses/alphabetical). The Insight Toolkit (ITK) is licensed under an Apache 2.0 license.
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### Author:  [@ctrueden](https://discourse.itk.org/u/ctrueden)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/the-insight-software-consortium-reaffirms-the-open-software-initiatives-open-source-definition/1950/2 "2019-06-10T19:26:53Z")
I was curious about this “software that was being licensed under very specific clauses that brought controversy to the open-source software community.”
So that other readers of this topic do not have to dig as deeply as I did: this is referring primarily to MongoDB’s recent relicensing under their newly crafted Server Side Public License (SSPL), intended to serve the same goals as the [GNU Affero Public License](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html), but more effectively preventing big cloud companies from leveraging OSS on their Software-as-a-Service platforms “without giving back.” MongoDB has submitted the SSPL to the OSI for consideration as an open-source license, but there are a lot of concerns, so it’s not looking likely that it will be accepted.
This is a contentious topic and I think it’s critical that we as a community understand the perspectives and arguments going on before jumping to any strong position. Here is a very nice thread on the Open Source StackExchange site going into detail about the SSPL, and what the OSI’s concerns are about it:
>
In my view, this debate highlights a big advantage of permissively licensed software like ITK: greatly reduced legal complexity, and unambiguous freedom to use the software as you see fit, regardless of commercial gain.
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### Author:  [@matt.mccormick](https://discourse.itk.org/u/matt.mccormick)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/the-insight-software-consortium-reaffirms-the-open-software-initiatives-open-source-definition/1950/3 "2019-06-12T15:53:06Z")
Thanks for the follow-up and pointers @ctrueden 👍, great points.
Yes, the MongoDB re-licensing as SSPL spurred the need to remind ourselves of the true definition of open source. Re-licensing to non-OSI-approved licensing has happened in the past is trending again. For example, [CockroachDB](https://www.cockroachlabs.com/blog/oss-relicensing-cockroachdb/) recently changed their license to a non-OSI approved license that adds additional restrictions.
> [@ctrueden](#):
>
> In my view, this debate highlights a big advantage of permissively licensed software like ITK: greatly reduced legal complexity, and unambiguous freedom to use the software as you see fit, regardless of commercial gain.
+10
Open source means more than the ability to see the code. The [Open Source Definition](https://opensource.org/osd) empowers us to, e.g.:
- Fix issues.
- Develop new methods.
- Build on the software to provide value and make a living.
The value from open source comes from these freedoms and community-driven development.