Re: FSML and XML Digital Signatures

On Thursday 11 July 2002 09:21 am, Kalyana wrote:
> I have a basic question to ask....is FSML a rival technology to that of
> XML Digital Signatures. I understand that FSTC is holding patents on
> signing documents electronically and FSML is the specification written by
> them. In the light of this, is XML Digital Signatures not an infringement
> upon the patents held by FSTC?

I don't know the status of FSML nor SDML. What I know is that SDML was 
submitted [1] to the W3C in 1998: my understanding was that FSTC wanted to 
use a W3C Recommendation and I presume they would be doing so now. No 
patent disclosures were made in the course of the work [2] and the 
submission stated the following:

  FSTC agrees that, upon adoption of this contribution as a 
  W3C Recommendation, FSTC shall grant to any W3C member 
  a non-exclusive license under all rights owned by FSTC to 
  implement and use the technology described in this contribution 
  for the purposes of supporting the W3C Recommendation on 
  a royalty-free basis. One condition of this license shall be 
  the party's agreement to not assert patent rights against FSTC 
  and other companies for their implementation of the W3C 
  Recommendation...

You might want to contact the folks on [3] for more information.

[1] http://www.w3.org/Submission/1998/09/
[2] http://www.w3.org/Signature/Disclosures.html
[3] http://www.fstc.org/projects/sdml/index.cfm

Received on Thursday, 11 July 2002 09:45:54 UTC