OpenChain Announcement

Author: maennchen

_posts/2025-02-26-elixir-openchain-certification.markdown

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Announcing Elixir OpenChain Certification"
+authors:
+  - Jonatan Männchen
+  - José Valim
+category: Announcements
+excerpt: "The Elixir project now meets OpenChain (ISO/IEC 5230). Each release ships with Source SBoMs in CycloneDX 1.6 and SPDX 2.3, plus attestation."
+tags: openchain compliance
+---
+
+We are pleased to share that the Elixir project now complies with
+[OpenChain][openchain] ([ISO/IEC 5230][iso_5230]), an international
+standard for open source license compliance. This step aligns with broader
+efforts to meet industry standards for supply chain and cybersecurity best
+practices.
+
+“Today’s announcement around Elixir’s conformance represents another significant
+example of community maturity,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager.
+“With projects - the final upstream - using ISO standards for compliance and
+security with increasing frequency, we are seeing a shift to longer-term
+improvements to trust in the supply chain.”
+
+## Why OpenChain Compliance Helps
+
+By following OpenChain (ISO/IEC 5230), we demonstrate clear processes around
+license compliance. This benefits commercial and community users alike, making
+Elixir easier to adopt and integrate with confidence.
+
+## Changes for Elixir Users
+
+Elixir has an automated release process where its artifacts are signed. This
+change strengthens this process by:
+
+- All future Elixir releases will include a Source SBoM in
+  [CycloneDX 1.6 or later][cyclonedx] and [SPDX 2.3 or later][spdx] formats.
+- Each release will be attested along with the Source SBoM.
+
+These additions offer greater transparency into the components and licenses of
+each release, supporting more rigorous supply chain requirements.
+
+## Changes for Contributors
+
+Contributing to Elixir remains largely the same, we have added more clarity and
+guidelines around it:
+
+- Contributions remain under the Apache-2.0 License. Other licenses cannot be
+  accepted.
+- The project now enforces the [Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)][dco],
+  ensuring clarity around contribution ownership.
+
+Contributors will notice minimal procedural changes, as standard practices
+around licensing remain in place.
+
+For more details, see the [CONTRIBUTING guidelines][contributing].
+
+## Commitment
+
+These updates were made in collaboration with the
+[Erlang Ecosystem Foundation][erlef], reflecting a shared
+commitment to robust compliance and secure development practices. Thank you to
+everyone who supported this milestone. We appreciate the community’s ongoing
+contributions and look forward to continuing the growth of Elixir under these
+established guidelines.
+
+[openchain]: https://openchainproject.org/
+[erlef]: https://erlef.org/
+[spdx]: https://spdx.org/rdf/terms/
+[cyclonedx]: https://cyclonedx.org/specification/overview/
+[iso_5230]: https://www.iso.org/standard/81039.html
+[dco]: https://developercertificate.org/
+[contributing]: https://github.com/elixir-lang/elixir/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md