> > 1. Everyone is free to copy and distribute the official specification > > for an open standard under an open source license. > Simon Josefsson wrote: > I would include "modify" in this clause, or clarify exactly which > license you are talking about (e.g., GNU Free Documentation License). Bill Sommerfeld wrote: > IMHO, if "modify" is allowed, the license must require that modified > versions are clearly distinguished from the official spec and thereby > not-the-standard-you-were-looking-for. Thank you for this suggestion. I'm fine with adding the word "modify" if that will clarify these Open Standards Principles. The words "under an open source license" later in that sentence includes all the rights conveyed by an open source license, such as the right to modify and distribute copies of the specification, but saying it explicitly here makes good sense. All open source licenses permit modification. IETF should also decide whether to distribute its specifications under the GPL, OSL, SISSL or other open source license that includes reciprocity, or under an academic license that permits proprietary modifications of the specifications themselves. Please note that the open source copyright license described in Principle 1 that applies to the specification itself may not be sufficient for you to make, use or sell your modified, non-conforming versions. That is because the affirmative patent licenses described in Principles 2 and 3 may be limited in scope to "embodiments of an open standard." You may need to obtain additional patent licenses from other companies in order to implement non-standard functions in your software. Almost all patent owners insist upon such field of use limitations in their patent licenses for standards. Take a look at the patent statements filed with the IETF and other standards organizations and you'll see this over and over from most major companies. Open source can live with this; we already agreed to do so in W3C. /Larry Lawrence Rosen Rosenlaw & Einschlag, technology law offices (www.rosenlaw.com) 3001 King Ranch Road, Ukiah, CA 95482 707-485-1242 * fax: 707-485-1243 email: lrosen@xxxxxxxxxxxx _______________________________________________ Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf