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5378 - one purpose

2009-01-12 12:56:47
John,

If I'm correct and transfer of a Standard to another SDO is
really a non-issue, then perhaps the question of what problem(s)
5378 was intended to solve becomes more relevant... or perhaps
it does not.  But, given the problems the 5378/5377 model has
turned out to create, eliminating one of the major claimed
reasons for creating that model makes it much easier to consider
just repealing the things and doing a small update to 3978/4748
to de-glitch them.

My recollection of one of the major problems that 5378 was
intended to solve is allowing use of text from IETF standards
outside of the IETF.  Two specific examples are:
1) Use of code from an RFC in an implementation.  This often
        requires the ability to modify the code in some minor
        ways.
2) Use of text from an RFC in another standard.  This is *not*
        transfer of the standard, but rather allowing use of
        the actual text in a different standard that does
        something similar.
The pre-5378 copyright rules block both of these.

The ipr WG spent a great deal of time discussing code use, and
whether to apply the same provisions to text (ultimately, the
same provisions were not applied).  I have personally been in a
situation where an editor in another standards organization had
to do a complete rewrite of a large quantity of text obtained
from an RFC because the IETF could not grant copyright
permission independent of whether the IETF wanted to grant
that permission or not.

Regardless of the mess that's been made for revisions of
documents that used the old rules, I doubt that a "de-glitch"
effort on 3978/4748 can address the two examples noted above, 
as both require additional permissions from authors that the
IETF has not obtained in the past (and hence that the IETF
does not have for documents created under past rules).

Thanks,
--David
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David L. Black, Distinguished Engineer
EMC Corporation, 176 South St., Hopkinton, MA  01748
+1 (508) 293-7953             FAX: +1 (508) 293-7786
black_david(_at_)emc(_dot_)com        Mobile: +1 (978) 394-7754
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