Re: SVG2 Accessibility User Agent Implementation Guide

On Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:02:22 +0200, Janina Sajka <janina@rednote.net>  
wrote:

> Bjoern:
>
> Bjoern Hoehrmann writes:
>> * Michael Cooper wrote:
>> >By tying the deliverable to a single Working Group that everyone joins,
>> >we are getting clear patent commitments from the people who join the
>> >work. The alternative is a joint task force in which some people have
>> >made a PF patent commitment, and others have made an SVG patent
>> >commitment - it's more vague about what the actual commitment to the
>> >specific work is.
>>
>> Could you explain why the SVG WG and PFWG cannot, like other groups do,
>> publish the document jointly, or how that would be worse if the goal is
>> to maximise chances that the result can be implemented royality-free?
>> --
>
> I think you misunderstand. Let me try to explain.

I think Bjoern's concern about how to ensure a sound level of Patent  
licensing is valid. I believe his assertion that the obvious way would be  
to get the SVG WG members to commit to this as a deliverable of the SVG WG  
is quite correct.

> * We are proposing joint publication. This means that PF and Svg
> * would each need to agree to the publication, at each significant
> * stage, e.g. FPWD, Last Call, CR, etc.

In which case, why not make it a formal deliverable of the two groups,  
instead of just a deliverable of PF with licensing commitments from PF  
plus administrative overhead from and for SVG?

> * We do intend that the result can be implemented
> * royalty free, as you suggest. However, there is a specific W3C
> * process, required of all W3C Working Groups operating under the
> * W3C Patent Policy, which is to expressly seek any patend disclosures,
> * should anyone assert such. There is a FAQ that may be helpful:
>
> http://www.w3.org/2003/12/22-pp-faq.html and especially
> http://www.w3.org/2003/12/22-pp-faq.html#joint

(If I had to name 20 people in the world likely to understand the Patent  
Policy, Bjoern's name would come up before mine.)

> I would note that SVG and PF both operate under the W3C Patent Policy:
> http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/2012/charter.html#patentpolicy
> http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/charter201006.html#patentpolicy
>
> So, I'm unclear what you mean when you say: "Could you explain why the
> SVG WG and PFWG cannot, like other groups do, publish the document
> jointly, or how that would be worse ..."

cheers

Chaals

-- 
Charles McCathie Nevile - Consultant (web standards) CTO Office, Yandex
       chaals@yandex-team.ru         Find more at http://yandex.com

Received on Tuesday, 1 April 2014 08:02:13 UTC