OpenSSF Warns: Open Source Software Is Not a Free Service

OpenSSF Warns: Open Source Software Is Not a Free Service reports that OpenSSF, together with several prominent open‑source and software foundations, has issued a joint statement saying it can no longer serve as the unpaid gatekeeper of the global software supply chain, with enterprises urged to contribute financially to open‑source infrastructure in proportion to their use.

According to OpenSSF, the statement was co‑signed by Eclipse Foundation, OpenJS Foundation, OpenSSF, Python Software Foundation, Rust Foundation, AlphaOmega Foundation, Packagist, and Sonatype. The article notes that these foundations collectively handle trillions of package downloads each month, yet often survive only on donations, grants and sponsors, with conflicts arising from continuous integration systems, large‑scale scanners and AI agents scraping repositories.

It quotes the statement emphasising that beyond package registries, open‑source projects rely on essential systems for building, testing, analysing, deploying and distributing software, including content delivery networks and donated cloud resources. OpenSSF outlines potential paths forward, including commercial partnerships, tiered access models and value‑added services to fund maintenance, security and reliability.