Contriboss (COSS) Brand Usage Guidelines

Version: 1.0 (Draft)
Last Updated: [Date - To Be Filled]

Section A: Preamble & Mission

1. Our Vision for a Collaborative and Standardized Future

The Contriboss (COSS) initiative envisions a global technology ecosystem where software components, interfaces, and protocols serve as reliable, truly interoperable, and demonstrably neutral building blocks. We believe in empowering developers, researchers, businesses, and end-users by fostering enduring standards that transcend individual vendor interests and short-term commercial pressures, promoting instead genuine open collaboration and long-term value.

COSS aims to cultivate a landscape where innovation can accelerate on a robust foundation of mutual trust, transparent processes, and universally accessible tools. This becomes particularly critical in the age of Artificial Intelligence, where progress hinges on the ability of intelligent systems to learn from and interact with a vast, diverse, yet consistently defined digital world.

2. Addressing the Pervasive Challenge of Fragmentation and Lock-in

In an era defined by rapid technological evolution and increasing complexity, the digital commons is too often threatened by the proliferation of proprietary silos, opaque interfaces, and deliberate vendor lock-in mechanisms. These practices not only stifle progress and innovation by creating unnecessary friction and integration costs, but they also limit user choice, hinder fair competition, and can erode the fundamental trust users place in technology.

Fragmentation makes it exceedingly difficult to build resilient, interconnected systems. For emergent technologies like AI, the lack of standardization in underlying tools and protocols represents a significant bottleneck, complicating data exchange, model training, and the development of broadly applicable intelligent solutions. COSS was conceived from the urgent need for a clear, reliable marker – a publicly trusted standard – that identifies and champions software projects genuinely committed to enduring principles of openness, neutrality, interoperability, and community-driven stewardship.

3. The COSS Mission: Forging Standards for a New Era

The mission of the COSS initiative is to establish, promote, and steward a clear, verifiable set of principles for software projects that commit to being universal, interoperable, and community-centric standardization tools. Through the COSS Mark, and the collective commitment it represents, we aim to:

• Champion Meaningful Standardization: Actively promote and support the development and adoption of software components, APIs, and protocols as well-defined, open standards. This is especially vital for AI-era workflows, enabling broader adoption, fostering reproducible research, and allowing intelligent systems to more efficiently and reliably learn from and contribute to our shared digital infrastructure. We encourage standards that are not just documented, but are also implemented and maintained with neutrality.
• Systematically Combat Vendor Lock-in: Ensure that COSS-branded projects are architected and governed to remain neutral, actively preventing mechanisms that favor specific vendors, restrict data portability, or enforce exclusivity. By doing so, COSS seeks to create a level playing field, foster healthier market dynamics, and empower users with genuine freedom of choice.
• Foster Deep Trust and Operational Transparency: Provide a recognizable and respected symbol (the COSS Mark) that assures users, developers, and organizations that a project rigorously adheres to clearly articulated principles of universal access, ethical contribution by its participants, transparent governance (where applicable to the project itself), and a modular, well-defined design that facilitates understanding and integration.
• Enable a Richly Collaborative and Interoperable Ecosystem: Encourage and facilitate the creation of tools and platforms that are designed for interoperability. By championing projects that can be reliably combined and extended, COSS aims to unlock new synergies, reduce duplicated effort, and allow the community to collectively build more sophisticated, impactful, and resilient solutions. This includes collaboration between different open source projects, academic research, and commercial entities alike who commit to the COSS principles for specific components.

4. Our Guiding Principles as the Bedrock of COSS

The integrity and value of the COSS Mark are derived from the unwavering commitment of participating projects to a set of core principles. These principles, detailed within these Brand Usage Guidelines, include Universal Access, Anti-Vendor Lock-in & Neutral Naming, Optional Dependencies & Ecosystem Compatibility, Modular Scope for Standardization, and Contributor Ethics within COSS-branded Projects. Collectively, these principles form the foundation upon which trust is built, ensuring that any project bearing the COSS Mark genuinely contributes to a more open, fair, and innovative technological future for all. Adherence to these principles is not merely a suggestion but a requirement for the use and retention of the COSS Mark.

5. An Invitation to Build Together

COSS is more than a standard; it is a movement towards a more principled approach to building the digital world. We invite developers, project maintainers, businesses, research institutions, and standards organizations to embrace the COSS principles, contribute to COSS-branded projects, and help us build an ecosystem where technology truly serves the broadest possible community in a fair, transparent, and empowering manner.

Section B: Definition and Ownership of the “COSS Mark”

Definition: The “COSS Mark” (hereinafter “the Mark”) refers to the official “Contriboss (COSS)” name, associated logos, wordmarks, and any other visual identifiers designated by The COSS Stewardship Body as official representations of the COSS standard.

Ownership and Stewardship: The COSS Mark is owned and stewarded exclusively by “The COSS Stewardship Body” (hereinafter “the Stewardship Body”). The Stewardship Body is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the Mark and these Guidelines.

Section C: The COSS Principles for Brand Compliance

To use the COSS Mark, a software project (referred to as a “COSS-branded Project” or “Project”) must demonstrably adhere to the following five (5) principles in its standard, generally available version and its ongoing development practices.

Principle 1: Universal Access

A COSS-branded Project must ensure its standard, generally available version provides universal access to all individuals and entities, without restrictions imposed by the Project or its distributors based on nationality, religion, or belief (beyond what applicable law may directly compel for a specific distribution instance).

Principle 2: Anti-Vendor Lock-in & Neutral Naming

A COSS-branded Project must be architected to prevent vendor lock-in in its core functionality.

(a) Core components, protocols, or standards defined or implemented by the Project must use neutral, generic, or community-standardized names, and must avoid vendor-specific branding for these core interoperable elements.

(b) The Project’s core, standard-compliant functionality must not contain logic that i) detects a specific vendor or implementation for the purpose of reducing or disabling functionality for others, or ii) otherwise enforces exclusivity or prevents interoperability with other implementations adhering to the same COSS-promoted standard.

Principle 3: Optional Dependencies & Ecosystem Compatibility

Adapters, connectors, or plugins within a COSS-branded Project that connect to third-party libraries (including proprietary or copyleft code) are permitted only if:

i. the core functionality of the COSS-branded Project builds and functions without them, and

ii. the third-party license is respected and clearly documented.

Bundling such third-party code with the core is prohibited unless its license terms: (a) do not conflict with the user’s rights to the core Project’s open source code, (b) do not prevent the core Project from functioning as intended, and (c) allow the core Project’s code to be distributed under its own license.

Principle 4: Modular Scope for Standardization

A COSS-branded Project should represent a composable building block with a well-defined scope, aimed at promoting standardization, particularly for AI-era workflows. It should be designed for assembly with other modules to form larger systems.

Principle 5: Contributor Ethics within COSS-branded Projects

Contributors to a COSS-branded Project must not intentionally add, modify, or remove code or functional data in a way that subverts Principles 1-4, or for purposes of sabotage, DRM-like restrictions, or to introduce politically or religiously motivated alterations that undermine the neutrality or factual basis expected of the Project’s standard version.

For the purpose of this principle, a “Contributor” is any individual or entity making contributions (e.g., code, documentation, core data modifications) directly to the designated codebase, official documentation, or core functional datasets of that specific COSS-branded Project.

Section D: Using the COSS Mark

Eligibility: A Project is eligible to use the COSS Mark upon:

(a) Publicly affirming its commitment to adhere to these COSS Brand Usage Guidelines and the COSS Principles.

(b) Ensuring its underlying codebase is open source and free from vendor lock-in mechanisms.

(c) (Highly Recommended) Receiving formal verification of compliance from The COSS Stewardship Body.

Software Licensing: The underlying software code of a COSS-branded Project must be open source and free from vendor lock-in mechanisms. Any license type is acceptable as long as these requirements are met. These Brand Usage Guidelines do not grant any rights to the software code itself.

Proper Display:

• The COSS Mark must be used as provided by The COSS Stewardship Body, without alteration. (Refer to official Brand Asset resources when available).
• The Mark should be displayed in a manner that clearly associates it with the compliant Project.
• Sufficient clear space must be maintained around the Mark.

Attribution and Statements: Projects may state they are “COSS-branded” or “adhere to the COSS Brand Principles.” The Mark should not be used to imply direct endorsement of product quality or security by the Stewardship Body beyond adherence to the stated Principles.

Section E: Maintaining Compliance & Governance

Ongoing Adherence: Projects using the COSS Mark are expected to maintain ongoing adherence to the COSS Principles in their standard, generally available versions and development practices.

Role of The COSS Stewardship Body: The Stewardship Body is responsible for interpreting these Guidelines, managing the verification process (to be detailed separately), and evolving the COSS Standard over time, with community input.

Reporting Non-Compliance: Concerns regarding a Project’s compliance with these Guidelines may be reported to The COSS Stewardship Body through designated channels (to be established).

Section F: Consequences of Non-Compliance with Brand Principles

Review: Upon receiving a credible report of non-compliance, The COSS Stewardship Body will review the matter, potentially contacting the Project maintainers for clarification.

Rectification Period: If non-compliance is determined, the Project may be given a reasonable period to rectify the issues and demonstrate renewed compliance.

Revocation of Right to Use Mark: If a Project fails to maintain compliance or rectify non-compliance, The COSS Stewardship Body reserves the right to revoke the Project’s permission to use the COSS Mark. The Project will then be required to cease all use of the Mark.

No Effect on Underlying License: Revocation of the right to use the COSS Mark does not affect the rights granted under the Project’s underlying permissive software license for its code.

Section G: Compatibility with Other Licenses and Initiatives

Projects whose code is licensed under other open-source licenses (such as GPL or AGPL) may also use the COSS Mark if they fully adhere to all COSS Brand Principles (Section C) and if their own license terms do not prevent such adherence or conflict with the spirit of the COSS initiative as determined by The COSS Stewardship Body.

The COSS initiative welcomes collaboration with other standards bodies and open initiatives that share similar goals.

Section H: Disclaimer

No Software License: These Brand Usage Guidelines are not a software license. The use of software code developed by COSS-branded Projects is governed by the terms of that software’s specific underlying license (e.g., MIT License).

No Warranty of Compliance or Quality: The COSS Stewardship Body provides the COSS certification and brand on an “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties or conditions of TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The Stewardship Body does not warrant the individual compliance, quality, security, or performance of any specific COSS-branded Project. Users are responsible for their own assessment of any software.

Limitation of Liability: In no event and under no legal theory, whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise, unless required by applicable law (such as deliberate and grossly negligent acts) or agreed to in writing, shall The COSS Stewardship Body, or any of its members or contributors to these Guidelines, be liable for damages, including any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character arising as a result of these Guidelines or out of the use or inability to use the COSS Mark or any COSS-branded Project.

Section I: Amendments to These Guidelines

These Brand Usage Guidelines may be updated or amended from time to time by The COSS Stewardship Body. Significant changes will be communicated publicly. Continued use of the COSS Mark after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

Section J: Contact Information

For questions regarding these Guidelines, the COSS Mark, or the COSS initiative, please contact The COSS Stewardship Body through the official channels listed on the COSS website (www.coss.example.org - placeholder URL).

Note: This is a comprehensive draft. Specific details regarding the verification process, brand asset usage, formal structure of The COSS Stewardship Body, and official contact channels will need to be developed and added by the organization itself.