Intellectual Property Rights in IETF Technology
RFC 3979

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Network Working Group                                    S. Bradner, Ed.
Request for Comments: 3979                            Harvard University
BCP: 79                                                       March 2005
Obsoletes: 3668
Updates: 2028, 2026
Category: Best Current Practice

            Intellectual Property Rights in IETF Technology

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the
   Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).

Abstract

   The IETF policies about Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), such as
   patent rights, relative to technologies developed in the IETF are
   designed to ensure that IETF working groups and participants have as
   much information about any IPR constraints on a technical proposal as
   possible.  The policies are also intended to benefit the Internet
   community and the public at large, while respecting the legitimate
   rights of IPR holders.  This memo details the IETF policies
   concerning IPR related to technology worked on within the IETF.  It
   also describes the objectives that the policies are designed to meet.
   This memo updates RFC 2026 and, with RFC 3978, replaces Section 10 of
   RFC 2026.  This memo also updates paragraph 4 of Section 3.2 of RFC
   2028, for all purposes, including reference [2] in RFC 2418.

Table of Contents

   1.  Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2
   2.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   3.  Contributions to the IETF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       3.1.  General Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       3.2.  Rights and Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
   4.  Actions for Documents for which IPR Disclosure(s) Have Been
       Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       4.1.  No Determination of Reasonable and Non-discriminatory
             Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
   5.  Notice to be Included in RFCs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
   6.  IPR Disclosures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8

Bradner                  Best Current Practice                  [Page 1]
RFC 3979                 IP in IETF Technology                March 2005

       6.1.  Who Must Make an IPR Disclosure? . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
       6.2.  The Timing of Providing Disclosure . . . . . . . . . . .  9
       6.3.  How Must a Disclosure be Made? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
       6.4.  What Must be in a Disclosure?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
       6.5.  What Licensing Information to Detail in a Disclosure . . 12
       6.6.  When is a Disclosure Required? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   7.  Failure to Disclose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   8.  Evaluating Alternative Technologies in IETF Working Groups . . 13
   9.  Change Control for Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
   10. Licensing Requirements to Advance Standards Track Documents. . 14
   11. No IPR Disclosures in IETF Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
   12. Security Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
   13. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
       13.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
       13.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
   14. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
   15. Editor's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
       Full Copyright Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

1.  Definitions

   The following definitions are for terms used in the context of this
   document.  Other terms, including "IESG," "ISOC," "IAB," and "RFC
   Editor," are defined in [RFC2028].

   a. "IETF": In the context of this document, the IETF includes all
      individuals who participate in meetings, working groups, mailing
      lists, functions and other activities which are organized or
      initiated by ISOC, the IESG or the IAB under the general
      designation of the Internet Engineering Task Force or IETF, but
      solely to the extent of such participation.

   b. "IETF Standards Process": the activities undertaken by the IETF in
      any of the settings described in 1(c) below.

   c. "IETF Contribution": any submission to the IETF intended by the
      Contributor for publication as all or part of an Internet-Draft or
      RFC (except for RFC Editor Contributions described below) and any
      statement made within the context of an IETF activity.  Such
      statements include oral statements in IETF sessions, as well as
      written and electronic communications made at any time or place,
      which are addressed to:

      o  the IETF plenary session,
      o  any IETF working group or portion thereof,