Notice of OASIS Intellectual Property Rights Policy Change

["Scott McGrath" <scott.mcgrath@oasis-open.org>]

We are pleased to announce to all members that the OASIS Intellectual
Property Rights (IPR) Policy has been revised. The revision addresses
suggestions we received from members as well as the evolving legal landscape
concerning standards. This new version of the IPR Policy was approved by the
Board of Directors on 19 May 2009 and becomes effective on 4 August 2009. 

The primary amendment to the current Policy is the addition of a
"Non-Assertion" IPR Mode under which new TCs may choose to operate. Members
in a TC that operates under this new Non-Assertion IPR Mode automatically
make, upon becoming an Obligated Party,  a non-assertion covenant as laid
down   in Section 10.3 of the revised Policy.  (Several defined terms in the
Policy were updated to accommodate this addition.)

The introduction of the Non-Assertion Mode does not affect any of the three
existing IPR Modes, or the duties and obligations of members in existing
TCs. 

Other changes to the IPR Policy are minor, and include the correction of
non-substantive references and the addition of a new Section 13.3, which
seeks to apply bankruptcy law protections to licenses or non-assertion
covenants that might otherwise be terminated in a bankruptcy proceeding of
the party that granted them. 

The new Policy can be found at
http://www.oasis-open.org/who/intellectualproperty.php
A red-line version of the IPR Policy showing the exact changes made is
available at 
http://www.oasis-open.org/who/intellectualproperty-changes-2009-05-19.pdf 

OASIS is proud to offer the new Non-Assertion Mode as an option for those
OASIS members who find value in developing open standards under these terms.
We invite your feedback on the change via the publicly archived mailing
list, 
board-comment@lists.oasis-open.org. 

Thank you

Eduardo Gutentag
OASIS President
eduardo.gutentag@oasis-open.org