In February, CSI National announced the rollout of "The Construction Standard," a controversial new method to control licensing and to protect the trademarks on their flagship intellectual property, MasterFormat. The succeeding month saw a stunning rise of dissatisfaction expressed by CSI members on social media platforms such as the CSI Community Forum, LinkedIn, and 4specs.com, followed by a series of responses by members of the CSI Board of Directors attempting to explain the rationale for the new licensing requirements.
CSI's position is that the new dynamic standards provide a vital shared language that helps the construction industry communicate, coordinate, and build better projects. Creation of a new for-profit corporation will help create more contemporary ways to deliver, apply, and expand the usefulness of CSI standards in the market.
Members are upset that the new licensing fees are imposed on all entities who use the MasterFormat: designers and their consultants; manufacturers of building products and their representatives; contractors and their subs; owners and building managers; perhaps even governments who mandate the use of MasterFormat on their projects.
March 31, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada), CSI leadership will attempt to answer all the recently raised membership questions at an internet town hall. More information here: https://csinet-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K8sUL9FfT3C6z1oV9oDEZg#/registration
This is your chance to learn about the transformation taking place in the way we use a now over 50-year-old industry standard that is a fundamental part of every aspect of the design and construction industry.
Is this a forward thinking and necessary change to keep CSI relevant in a rapidly changing environment or is this an ill-advised money grab being pushed through behind the scenes? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between?
If you care about CSI's future, tune in tomorrow.
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George Everding FCSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA, SCIP
Greater Saint Louis Chapter
314-517-7800
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