You can not select more than 25 topics
Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
233 lines
11 KiB
233 lines
11 KiB
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
|
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
|
|
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
|
|
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" lang="en-US">
|
|
<head>
|
|
<title>Overview and Summary of W3C Royalty-Free Patent Policy</title>
|
|
<style type="text/css">
|
|
<!--
|
|
.toc { list-style: none outside; }
|
|
li.tocline1 { font-weight: bold; }
|
|
li.tocline2, li.tocline3 { font-weight: normal; }
|
|
-->
|
|
|
|
|
|
</style>
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/StyleSheets/TR/base" />
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
<body xml:lang="en" lang="en">
|
|
|
|
<div class="head">
|
|
<a href="http://www.w3.org/"><img alt="W3C" height="48" width="72"
|
|
src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/w3c_home" /></a>
|
|
|
|
<h1><a id="title" name="title">Overview and Summary of W3C Royalty-Free
|
|
Patent Policy</a></h1>
|
|
|
|
<h2><a id="subtitle" name="subtitle">19 March 2003</a></h2>
|
|
<dl>
|
|
<dt>This version:</dt>
|
|
<dd><a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/2003/03/19-patentsummary">http://www.w3.org/2003/03/19-patentsummary</a>,
|
|
about <a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/">19
|
|
Mar 2003 Patent Policy</a> (AC & Public Review draft)</dd>
|
|
<dt>Editors:</dt>
|
|
<dd><a href="http://www.w3.org/People/Weitzner.html">Daniel J.
|
|
Weitzner</a>, W3C/MIT<br />
|
|
<a href="http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs/">Ian Jacobs</a>, W3C</dd>
|
|
</dl>
|
|
|
|
<p class="copyright"><a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice#Copyright">Copyright</a>
|
|
© 2003 <a href="http://www.w3.org/"><acronym
|
|
title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</acronym></a><sup>®</sup> (<a
|
|
href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/"><acronym
|
|
title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">MIT</acronym></a>, <a
|
|
href="http://www.ercim.org/"><acronym
|
|
title="European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics">ERCIM</acronym></a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.keio.ac.jp/">Keio</a>), All Rights Reserved. W3C <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice#Legal_Disclaimer">liability</a>,
|
|
<a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice#W3C_Trademarks">trademark</a>,
|
|
<a href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/copyright-documents">document
|
|
use</a> and <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/copyright-software">software
|
|
licensing</a> rules apply.</p>
|
|
</div>
|
|
<hr title="Separator for header" />
|
|
|
|
<h2><a id="Abstract" name="Abstract">Abstract</a></h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>This is a summary of the proposed W3C Royalty-Free Patent Policy. The
|
|
policy governs the handling of patents in the process of producing Web
|
|
standards. The goal of the patent policy is to enable continued innovation
|
|
and widespread adoption of Web standards developed by the World Wide Web
|
|
Consortium.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2><a id="Status" name="Status">Status of This Document</a></h2>
|
|
|
|
<p style="background:orange"><strong>This document has been superseded by the
|
|
<a href="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/05-patentsummary.html">5 Feb 2004 version</a>.</strong></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>This is a non-normative summary of the proposed W3C Royalty-Free Patent
|
|
Policy. The only authoritative statement of W3C Patent Policy is contained in
|
|
the complete <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/">W3C Royalty-Free
|
|
Patent Policy</a>. The sole purpose of this document is to provide a more
|
|
accessible summary and explanation of the complete policy. As a summary, some
|
|
important details are omitted and many provisions are simplified for the sake
|
|
of basic understanding. This document has not been reviewed by W3C's <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/2001/ppwg/">Patent Policy Working Group (PPWG)</a>.
|
|
Please note that the patent policy W3C ultimately adopts may be different
|
|
from what is described here.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The public and W3C Members are invited to send comments on this document
|
|
to the www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org mailing list (<a
|
|
href="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-patentpolicy-comment/">public
|
|
archive</a>).</p>
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<h2>1. Background</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>In the early years of W3C's work on Web standards, innovation arose out of
|
|
a combination of community-wide collaboration on open standards and fierce
|
|
competition in implementation of those standards. Patents were not initially
|
|
identified as a barrier to innovation or interoperability because no one was
|
|
aware of any patent claims asserted to block standards-based
|
|
interoperability. However, as the Web become more commercially prominent and
|
|
the number of software and business process patents increased, some patent
|
|
holders sought to require license payments as a condition of implementing Web
|
|
standards. In some cases, these patent holders had also participated in the
|
|
development of those standards. The W3C community came to the conclusion that
|
|
it is essential to have a clear patent policy governing standards development
|
|
to assure that the fundamental dynamics of innovation and interoperability
|
|
that made the Web successful would be able to continue.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The proposed W3C Patent Policy contains a series of provisions designed
|
|
to:</p>
|
|
<ol>
|
|
<li>facilitate the development of W3C Recommendations by W3C Working
|
|
Groups;</li>
|
|
<li>promote the widespread implementation of those Recommendations;</li>
|
|
<li>address issues related to patents that arise during and after the
|
|
development of a Recommendation.</li>
|
|
</ol>
|
|
|
|
<h2>2. How the Policy Facilitates Work</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>The first effect of the policy is to set expectations about W3C's <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Licensing">licensing
|
|
goals</a>: the goal of each W3C Working Group is to produce a Recommendation
|
|
that is not only technically sound, but that can be implemented according to
|
|
the <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Requirements">W3C
|
|
Royalty-Free License requirements</a>.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Though Working Group participants keep this goal in mind, the policy is
|
|
designed to enable them to concentrate on technical design without worrying
|
|
about patents at every step. The policy establishes up front that:</p>
|
|
<ol>
|
|
<li>By virtue of participating in a Working Group, the participating
|
|
organization formally commits to the W3C Royalty-Free license
|
|
requirements for patents found to be "essential" to the Recommendation.
|
|
An "<a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#def-essential">essential
|
|
claim</a>" is one that would necessarily be infringed by an implementer
|
|
of the Recommendation; in other contexts this may be called a blocking
|
|
patent.</li>
|
|
<li>Working Group participants are not required to disclose known patents
|
|
as long as the participating organization commits to licensing any
|
|
patents it may hold according to the W3C Royalty-Free License
|
|
requirements.</li>
|
|
</ol>
|
|
|
|
<p>Thus, as long as no patents are brought to the attention of the Working
|
|
Group, they can focus on technical issues. The policy does not encourage W3C
|
|
to stick its collective head in the sand, however. The policy requires public
|
|
<a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Disclosure">disclosure</a>
|
|
of patents and patent applications if someone developing a W3C Recommendation
|
|
has "actual knowledge" that the patent contains claims that may be essential,
|
|
and that person does not agree to the W3C Royalty-Free License requirements.
|
|
No one is required to perform a portfolio search in order to satisfy the
|
|
disclosure requirement.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The policy also accounts for the situation where a participant may not
|
|
wish that a particular patent be subject to the W3C Royalty-Free License
|
|
requirements. The policy allows participants, in certain conditions, to <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Exclusion">exclude
|
|
specific patents</a> from the licensing commitment (within a well-defined
|
|
time limit). This has the dual effect of raising the Working Group's
|
|
awareness of a possible obstacle to progress, and allowing patent holders to
|
|
participate knowing that they can exclude strategic technology early in the
|
|
process and still contribute to the overall effort.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>3. How the Policy Promotes Implementation</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>The policy promotes the widespread implementation of W3C Recommendations
|
|
first by making the <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Requirements">W3C
|
|
Royalty-Free License requirements</a> clear and enforceable . To qualify
|
|
under the policy, a license must satisfy the following requirements (see the
|
|
policy for additional details and conditions):</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>The license must be available to all implementers and users whether or
|
|
not they are W3C Members.</li>
|
|
<li>The license may be limited to implementations of the
|
|
Recommendation;</li>
|
|
<li>The license may require a royalty-free "grant back" or reciprocal
|
|
licenses either to the original patent holder or to all other
|
|
implementers;</li>
|
|
<li>The license must not charge a fee or royalty;</li>
|
|
<li>The license may be suspended if the licensee sues the licensor;</li>
|
|
<li>The license must not impose any other material conditions, such as
|
|
requirements to use other technologies, etc.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p>Thus, the policy promotes implementation of W3C Recommendations by clearly
|
|
establishing licensing requirements, by ensuring that a license is available
|
|
to all, and by ensuring that exclusions and disclosures are public.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2><a id="sec-Exception" name="sec-Exception">4. How the Policy Addresses
|
|
Exceptions</a></h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>When any obstacle related to patents threatens Working Group progress, W3C
|
|
launches a task force, called a "<a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Exception">Patent
|
|
Advisory Group</a>," or PAG, to address the conflict. The proposed policy
|
|
describes the composition of a PAG, the procedures they follow to help
|
|
address conflicts, and possible outcomes. The possible outcomes are:</p>
|
|
<ol>
|
|
<li>The initial concern has been resolved, enabling the Working Group to
|
|
continue.</li>
|
|
<li>The Working Group should be instructed to consider designing around the
|
|
identified claims.</li>
|
|
<li>The W3C Team should seek further information and evaluation, including
|
|
and not limited to evaluation of the patents in question or the terms
|
|
under which the Royalty-Free Licensing requirements may be met.</li>
|
|
<li>The Working Group should be terminated.</li>
|
|
<li>The Recommendation (if it has already been issued) should be
|
|
rescinded.</li>
|
|
<li><a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-PAG-conclude-alternate">Alternative
|
|
licensing terms</a> should be considered.</li>
|
|
</ol>
|
|
|
|
<p>If the PAG recommends that the technology be included in the
|
|
Recommendation under terms that are different from W3C's stated <a
|
|
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-patent-policy-20030319/#sec-Licensing">licensing
|
|
goals</a>, the policy insists on caution by requiring several levels of
|
|
review and consensus before W3C accepts those terms. This flexibility allows
|
|
W3C to address the unusual case in which community consensus (including both
|
|
public and W3C Member perspectives) finds that departure from the strict
|
|
licensing goals is appropriate. Such departure requires the Director to find
|
|
that the proposed alternative is consistent with the W3C mission, the
|
|
interests of the Web community, and is clearly justified despite the
|
|
expressed preference of the W3C Membership for Royalty-Free licensing.</p>
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p>$Id: 19-patentsummary.html,v 1.35 2004/02/09 21:27:07 ijacobs Exp $</p>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html>
|