RE: [legalxml-econtracts] Schedule for IPR Transition or TC closure

["Mary McRae" <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org>]

Hi everyone,

  I'm a bit confused about the statement that the schema is non-normative; the specification is for a schema intended to
describe contract documents. From the specification abstract:

"This is the specification for the OASIS eContracts XML schema developed by the OASIS LegalXML eContracts Technical
Committee. The eContracts Schema is intended to describe the generic hierarchical structure of a wide range of contract
documents. The TC envisages that the primary use of the eContracts Schema will be to facilitate the maintenance of
precedent or template contract documents and contract terms by persons who wish to use them to create new contract
documents with automated tools." 

  Section 1.3 of the specification goes on to talk about the features summary of the eContracts Schema.

  Section 3.3 declares the normative XML Schema syntax:

"The eContracts Reference Schema is provided in Relax NG compact syntax, XML Schema (XSD) and as a DTD. The Relax NG
compact syntax version is normative."

  Section 3.5 declares 4 files as the reference schema:
eContracts-Reference.rnc
eContracts-core.rnc
dc-metadata.rnc
xi-include.rnc

  I must express my concern that it appears that the last official act of the TC will be to submit the committee draft
for public review. There will be very little time to incorporate feedback and vote for Committee Specification,
particularly if errors are found in the schemas as currently packaged since any change to them would potentially be
substantive and require an additional public review period. I would like to reinforce Jamie's urging to consider
transitioning. There is no requirement that the TC remain open for any length of time following the transition, and with
this underway the TC can rest assured that the work can be seen through completion.

Regards,

Mary


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dazza Greenwood [mailto:dazza@media.mit.edu] 
> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 3:50 PM
> To: mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org
> Cc: Patrick Gannon; pmeyer@elkera.com.au; Dave Marvit; Dr. 
> Laurence Leff; Leff; zoran@deontik.com; James Bryce Clark
> Subject: Re: [legalxml-econtracts] Schedule for IPR 
> Transition or TC closure
> 
> Mary,
>  
> Thanks for providing that additional background.  I am also 
> not sure where the communications are running afoul, but Dr. 
> Leff has just assured me again by phone that he believe we 
> have given you everything you need to publish our draft for 
> comment now.  It sounds like OASIS practice would lead us to 
> have Dr. Leff as editor, and that's fine.  We may make a 
> non-substantive amendment to that field to add the names 
> later of other people who have played that role during the 
> life of the TC and the evolution of our work.  We strongly 
> desire that no such possibility further delay publication by 
> OASIS of our draft for comment.  Regarding the schema and 
> other files, Dr. Leff tells me they can be found at: 
> //www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/21965/eContractss
> chemad1.00.zip    However, please note that the schema and 
> other files are not normative and were autogenerated for the 
> sake of completeness only.  Our standard does not depend on 
> them, and if needed, we can omit them from our work 
> completely in order to save the ship.  If you are still not 
> satisfied and prepared to publish now, we respectfully 
> request an urgent meeting by phone to resolve any outstanding 
> problems.  We do not intend to survive past the IP transition 
> point, and request that you help us to identify and resolve 
> whatever your remaining problems (if any) so that we don't 
> have a serious problem with closing out our TC and publishing 
> our work within your deadline structure.  We have reserved 
> the following time for a TC meeting with OASIS, if it is 
> necessary.today at 18:00 Eastern Time, Call in 1-641-297-5400 
>  (Iowa)   Participant Access Code 84759.  Please conform if 
> you now have what you need to publish our spec at this time 
> or if there are further problem that remain to be addressed.
>  
> Regards,
>  - DG
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Mary McRae <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org>
> To: Dazza Greenwood <dazza@media.mit.edu>; James Bryce Clark 
> <jamie.clark@oasis-open.org>
> Cc: Patrick Gannon <patrick.gannon@oasis-open.org>; 
> pmeyer@elkera.com.au; Dave Marvit <dave@marvit.org>; Dr. 
> Laurence Leff <D-Leff@wiu.edu>; Leff 
> <doctorleff@hotmail.com>; zoran@deontik.com; 
> legalxml-econtracts@lists.oasis-open.org
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 4:27:51 PM
> Subject: RE: [legalxml-econtracts] Schedule for IPR 
> Transition or TC closure
> 
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
>   I'm not sure where the communication has run afoul -- I 
> detailed the changes that needed to be made in my email to 
> the TC on 16 Jan.
> http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/legalxml-econtrac
> ts/email/archives/200701/msg00002.html
> 
> I received a new copy from Dr. Leff on Monday of this week; I 
> have forwarded a copy of that message to the TC mail list so 
> that all can remain apprised of the current situation. 
> 
> I have asked for a copy of the schemas referenced in the 
> specification - the TC Process requires any and all schemas, 
> DTDs, etc. be provided separately as plain text files. I have 
> also asked for the name(s) of the editor(s) to be placed on 
> the cover sheet - this is standard OASIS practice; 
> acknowledgements are a separate section maintained typically 
> at the end of the specification itself. I believe in this 
> case the person doing the actual editing is Dr. Leff, but 
> there may be other names that should be listed there as well. 
> 
> I have not yet had the opportunity to review the newly 
> submitted file, but it appears that it is still without 
> editorial attribution and I am still without the necessary 
> schemas/DTDs.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mary   
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dazza Greenwood [mailto:dazza@media.mit.edu]
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:03 PM
> > To: James Bryce Clark
> > Cc: Patrick Gannon; Mary McRae; pmeyer@elkera.com.au; Dave 
> Marvit; Dr. 
> > Laurence Leff; Leff; zoran@deontik.com
> > Subject: Re: [legalxml-econtracts] Schedule for IPR 
> Transition or TC 
> > closure
> > 
> > Hi Jamie,
> >  
> > Good to hear from you and I'm glad to see you're keeping 
> the process 
> > on track for OASIS.  Thanks for the reminder on the 
> deadlines.  Our TC 
> > does not intend to continue to exist after publishing our 1.0 
> > specification, and we intend to have that published within the 
> > shortest possible time line, not extending to April 15th of 
> this year.  
> > Unfortunately, it seems to me that there is a failure to 
> communicate 
> > by OASIS which, if uncorrected soon, may risk our TC 
> running afoul of 
> > the IP transition deadline.  We're puzzled as to why OASIS has not 
> > published our draft specification for the initial 60 day comment 
> > period already.  We do not expect to make any further substantive 
> > changes to this draft, instead publishing the draft ASAP after the 
> > comment period and leaving more substantive revisions for 
> future work 
> > by a future TC or taking other appropriate action.  We do 
> expect that 
> > OASIS will either publish our specification for public comment 
> > immediately or will respond to my e-mail to Mary McCrae from over a 
> > week ago asking OASIS to "please let us know exactly what blocking 
> > issues remain to be resolved before our specification can 
> be published 
> > for comment?" (footnote 1).
> > As of today, I have not had a reply to that request and Dr. 
> > Leff, acting as our scribe, has told us he is uncertain how 
> to bring 
> > the process of back and forth with OASIS to a close.
> >  
> > We delivered our specification in draft form in December to 
> OASIS and 
> > any further delay by OASIS would be problematic for the TC and 
> > tantamount to OASIS causing this TC to abandon the IP terms I and 
> > other worked hard to negotiate in good faith with OASIS as 
> a condition 
> > of merging our non-profit into yours.  Ultimately it would 
> not serve 
> > the interests of OASIS in facilitating standards if OASIS 
> were to be 
> > the cause of our TC to go out of existence before OASIS 
> published our 
> > work under the IP terms we have agreed.  It is personally 
> important to 
> > me that any specification published by this TC be under the 
> existing 
> > IP and LegalXML IP statement that was so carefully 
> negotiated between 
> > LegalXML Inc and OASIS-OPEN for precisely this purpose.  
> The existing 
> > IP is exactly what I signed up for when I contributed by efforts 
> > toward this goal and that I negotiated and voted for as a member of 
> > the Board of LegalXML Inc.  Given the delay is at this 
> point an OASIS 
> > issue, one possible way forward we could discuss would involve 
> > agreeing (with OASIS Board ratification in a timely
> > manner) that any further delay by OASIS should cause the IP 
> deadline 
> > to be paused from this day forward for this TC until such time as 
> > OASIS publishes our draft delivered last year.
> > Please help us to help you by publishing our specification 
> now so that 
> > we can come to rest, or please tell me what more you require of us 
> > before you can finally get this off your desk.
> >  
> > I note that, with this additional week of delay by OASIS, 
> we are now 
> > very close to missing our IP deadline.  We can, however, still make 
> > the deadline if you act now or very soon.
> >  Please help us out here and reply to my e-mail from January 17th 
> > detailing any further obstacles to your publishing our 
> specification 
> > for comment or - much better - by simply publishing it immediately.
> >  
> > Yours truly,
> >  - DG
> > PS: In case it matters toward removing obstacles to publishing our 
> > draft, we intend to postpone decision on the final names to 
> populate 
> > the editor and other attribution fields until we gather a 
> little more 
> > information and we intend to leave those fields with the temporary 
> > characters "PLACE HOLDER", which Dr. Leff has already incorporated 
> > into the draft delivered to OASIS.
> >  
> > Footnote 1: Mail to Mary McRea dated January 17th, 2007
> >  
> > ----- Forwarded Message ----
> > From: Dazza Greenwood <dazza@media.mit.edu>
> > To: mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org
> > Cc: d-leff@wiu.edu; Peter Meyer <pmeyer@elkera.com.au>; 
> > zoran@deontik.com; Dave Marvit <dave@marvit.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 1:41:10 AM
> > Subject: Re: [legalxml-econtracts] LegalXML-eContracts 
> committee draft
> > 
> > Mary,
> > Thanks again for all your time spent helping the eContracts 
> TC to get 
> > our specification into shape to be published for the 60 day public 
> > comment period.  A couple of questions have occurred to the 
> TC about 
> > the process and I agree to ask for clarification from you so we can 
> > determine whether we need a live meeting to discuss. First, can you 
> > please let us know exactly what blocking issues remain to 
> be resolved 
> > before our specification can be published for comment?  It 
> seems that 
> > feedback from Ken is needed to address errors in docbook - 
> is that the 
> > final obstacle?  Second, we're puzzled by the editor field.  The TC 
> > wishes to grant attribution for the content to each participant 
> > equally, and we have done so in the back of the document.  
> Is there a 
> > need to also list editors?  Most of all we'd like to know how other 
> > TC's handle attribution.
> > Thanks very much,
> > - DG
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: James Bryce Clark <jamie.clark@oasis-open.org>
> > To: legalxml-econtracts@lists.oasis-open.org
> > Cc: Patrick Gannon <patrick.gannon@oasis-open.org>; Mary McRae 
> > <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 3:46:13 AM
> > Subject: [legalxml-econtracts] Schedule for IPR Transition or TC 
> > closure
> > 
> > 
> > To:  Members of the OASIS LegalXML E-Contracts TC, and their 
> > organizational primary representatives
> > 
> >    Please note that we will require action from this TC in a very 
> > short timespan, if the committee wishes to remain active after 15 
> > April 2007, the transition deadline for our 2005 OASIS IPR Policy.
> > Those TCs that have not yet formally initiated their 
> transition ballot 
> > process should do so immediately, or may risk closure.
> >     When we adopted the current IPR Policy, all 
> pre-existing OASIS TCs 
> > were given a 2-year period for transition to the new rules.
> > This TC continues to operate under the prior IPR Policy, but must 
> > complete a successful IPR Transition vote, or close, by
> > 15 April 2007.
> >      Many TCs have transitioned, but some including this one remain 
> > unresolved.  We understand that this TC would like to continue.
> > We'd be pleased to have your further participation here.  But this 
> > only can occur if the TC completes its transition on time.  That 
> > requires that the TC immediately select a mode and initiate the 
> > process within a few weeks.  Otherwise it's unlikely that a 
> successful 
> > transition vote can be completed before 15 April, and the 
> TC must be 
> > closed.  Please see the timeline below.
> >    Time is short, and we value your continued contributions.  
> > We encourage you not to take the chance of postponing action any 
> > longer. Your TC members may need time to agree on a choice 
> among the 
> > new policy's three IPR licensing modes.  The final 
> Transition Approval 
> > Ballot must be *unanimous* in order to succeed.
> >    Please contact me, my colleague Mary McRae, or any other 
> member of 
> > the OASIS standards development staff if you have questions or need 
> > assistance with the required votes.
> >    Thank you for your work to support OASIS and open standards.
> >    Regards  JBC
> > 
> > ~ James Bryce Clark
> > ~ Director of Standards Development, OASIS ~ 
> > jamie.clark@oasis-open.org
> > 
> > TIMELINE:  We strongly encourage completion of the 
> transition ballot 
> > by the end of March:
> > 
> >    *  The TC's vote to choose an IPR mode should completed by
> > 13 February 2007, if at a live quorate meeting, or if done by web 
> > ballot, the ballot should be opened by 6 February 2007.
> >    *  The "Transition Request" notice of the vote to the TC 
> > Administrator should be sent no later than 14 February 2007.
> > The last possible date is 1 March 2007.
> >    *  The 14-day Transition ballot should commence no later than 16 
> > March 2007.
> >    *  The last date for completion of a successful unanimous 
> > Transition ballot to avoid closure is 15 April 2007.
> > 
> > REFERENCES:
> >    2005 IPR Policy: http://www.oasis-open.org/who/ 
> > intellectualproperty.php
> >    Rules for TC IPR Transition: http://www.oasis-open.org/who/ipr/
> > ipr_transition_policy.php
> >    FAQ about Transition Policy: http://www.oasis-open.org/who/ipr/
> > transition_faq.php