Bill Strahm wrote: > > On Thu, 30 May 2002, RJ Atkinson wrote: > > > > > On Thursday, May 30, 2002, at 09:48 , Melinda Shore wrote: > > > Here's one for starters: there's no guidance on how or whether to > > > treat differences in licensing terms for competing proposals. It > > > would be nice to be able to say that all other things being more-or- > > > less equal we should prefer technology which will be available > > > royalty-free, > > > > Agree. > > > > My druthers would be to have an IETF policy explicitly saying that > > the first > > choice is to use unencumbered technology if it can be made to work, > > second choice > > is encumbered but royalty-free technology, and last choice is "fair and > > reasonable > > licence terms" (or whatever the equivalent correct legal wording might be > > for that last). > > > > And it would be good to have a conventional template for the > > royalty-free > > licence -- one that the IETF's legal counsel has reviewed and believes > > is acceptable > > for IETF purposes. > I disagree with this, I don't think the IETF can afford to keep a staff of > lawyers working on determining the licencing statements of all of the > standards being churned out. > > That said, I don't think it would do any good anyway, lets say the IETF > lawyer gives his Okey Dokie, then my company implements the standard and a > problem with the licencing terms comes up... Who do I go sue, the IETF ??? > > I hope not, but that could be creating a legal liability for the IETF if > its lawyers make statements on the licencing terms of protocols... > > Bill
Bill, The IETF isn't incorporated, so there is no way it can make such statements. The IETF's corporate umbrella is the Internet Society. Now I haven't consulted ISOC's CEO and VPs but I am on pretty safe ground in asserting that you are correct: ISOC would never accept such a liability. Our insurance company wouldn't let us. Brian E Carpenter Board Chairman, Internet Society http://www.isoc.org INET 2002, Washington, DC, 18-21 June http://www.inet2002.org
