FW: Message to the OpenDocument TC

[Mary McRae <marypmcrae@gmail.com>]

Hi everyone,

  I'm forwarding this on behalf of Eduardo Gutentag.

Thanks!

Mary

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Dear members of the OpenDocument TC

I'm sending you this message in my capacity of Sun's primary rep to OASIS.

Sun in pleased to issue a non-assertion covenant covering the Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument).

What a non-assertion covenant does is make moot the need to issue or request licenses. It should put to rest any and all questions
regarding Sun's IP regarding OpenDocument.

It is the equivalent of saying "we promise we won't shoot at you if you don't shoot at us". Or "we promise we will not be the first
to open fire".

The covenant is, as far as legal documents go, pretty short and simple.
However, neither I nor any of the Sun people in the TC are lawyers, so please don't ask us to clarify legal issues after reading the
document.
We believe the document is pretty clear and to the point.

Please go to http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/office/ipr.php
for the official version of the covenant.


-- 
Eduardo Gutentag               |         e-mail: eduardo.gutentag@Sun.COM
Corporate Standards            |         Phone:  +1 510 550 4616 (internal x31442)
Sun Microsystems Inc.          |         W3C AC Rep / W3C AB / OASIS BoD