All -
As we know you are aware, the IETF has fairly clear rights to make use of RFC
material generated since RFC 2026, and especially since the ISOC and recently
IETF Trust copyright has been attached, but the situation is less clear for
older IETF RFCs. As part of its mission to manage IPR for the IETF, the Trust
is pleased to let you know that certain authors of early RFCs are now ready to
sign a simple license, developed with Jorge Contreras, donating such rights as
they have to the Trust for the benefit of the IETF community. We hope many
others will follow them.
The proposed text is included below and we invite discussion both on the
list and during the IAOC Q&A at Wednesday's Plenary. You can also send
comments or questions to: trustees(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
This particular situation represents the only the "best case" for early
documents: the authors are available, willing, and they developed the
documents without the added complications of multiple authors or employer
interest in the IPR. We're not expecting a landslide transfer of earlier
RFCs as a result, but we're hoping to set a model and open the dialog with
other authors.
DRAFT NON-EXCLUSIVE LICENSE (RFC Documents)
WHEREAS, the undersigned ("Licensor"), alone or jointly with others,
is the author of all or portions of one or more documents in the
Request for Comments (RFC) Series beginning with RFC 1 dated 7 April
1969, which includes the permanent publications of the IETF, (the
"Documents"), and/or the assignee of certain rights therein, and
WHEREAS, Licensor hereby wishes to grant to the IETF Trust, a
Virginia Trust ("Licensee"), without warranty of any kind, a license
under any and all copyright and other intellectual property rights
that he/she may have in and to such Documents ("Licensor's Rights");
NOW THEREFORE, without limiting the effect of any prior license,
assignment or transfer, Licensor hereby grants to Licensee, under all
Licensor's Rights, without warranty of any kind, and Licensee
accepts, a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, paid-up,
royalty-free right and license retroactive to the date of creation,
including the right to sublicense, to reproduce, publish, modify,
translate, excerpt, combine and create derivative works of the
Documents and any portions thereof in any and all media, and
otherwise to exploit the Documents and any portions thereof in any
manner whatsoever.
Yours,
Lucy Lynch, Chair, IETF Trust
on behalf of the Trustees
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