oiic-formation-discuss message
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Subject: Standards and Antitrust
- From: robert_weir@us.ibm.com
- To: oiic-formation-discuss@lists.oasis-open.org
- Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:25:29 -0400
We need to be very careful here.
Quick background from a non lawyer.
Adam Smith in his 1776 "The
Wealth of Nations" has the memorable line:
"People of the same trade seldom
meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends
in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."
That is the essence of cartels
and other anti-competitive business arrangements. Various laws have
been developed over the years to prevent and/or eliminate such practices.
However, in order to form standards,
which generally are pro-competitive and are to the public's benefit, competitors
meet together and cooperate, within the limited sphere. We will compete
strongly in the implementations, but we cooperate (while at the same time
representing as well our own business's interests) in creating the standards.
But the restriction is that we cannot discuss things like prices,
market allocations, or other similar topics. In particular I must
call "foul" whenever anyone discusses the competitive position
of a particular company and suggests that this list or the proposed TC
take any action based on that competitive position. We can't do that.
We can't even discuss that.
Everyone should familiarize themselves
with the following applicable OASIS policy: http://www.oasis-open.org/who/antitrust-policy.php
Thanks,
-Rob
jose lorenzo <hozelda@yahoo.com> wrote on 06/21/2008
02:14:10 PM:
.
.
.
>
> I have no problem with you trying to tighten the language on ODF as
> is and add whatever necessary fillers [ignoring all the details
> about where would that take place, this TC, elsewhere, etc]. The
> problem is in trying to change too many things, many of which are
> nitpicks when you consider the big picture, that OO.o is open source
> and that MSOffice is still an opaque monster and owns the market.
>
> That is a very serious problem. I believe, for establishing a
> competitive market, anything that works against cutting Monopolysoft
> down in size is aiding and abetting Monopolysoft and would be
> illegal according to US antitrust law.
>
.
.
.
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