Re: [ubl-dev] UBL for storing accounting data

["G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@CraneSoftwrights.com>]

I see Tim has beat me to the send button.

At 2009-03-05 22:59 +0000, Martin Kleppmann wrote:
>* What is the patent situation of UBL? There is some legalese on 
>RAND/ RF modes on http://www.oasis-open.org/who/intellectualproperty.php --
>which mode applies to UBL? It goes without saying that even the remote
>possibility of licensing fees would be a showstopper for a free and
>open source implementation.

I'm not sure anyone can promise you that unless they go as far as to 
what Sun did with their non-assertion covenant:

   http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/ubl-dev/200607/msg00005.html

And I'm talking about any open standard or implementation, not just 
UBL.  IP claims can come out of nowhere at any time, and your project 
wouldn't be the only one threatened by such a revelation regarding 
UBL ... I think many projects would be instantly abandoned.

>* I think the UBL documentation could do with being more extensive,
>and in particular more transparent. Ken, the files you provide are a
>useful reference; I think potential UBL adopters would find it a lot
>easier though if there were a few examples and a bit more explanation
>for each element.

But such "more explanation" would only be a particular community's 
interpretation.  The normative definitions are the ones found in the 
spreadsheets, which I've used to create the HTML reports.  Those are 
the only definitive definitions there can be, and they are under the 
purview of the UBL Technical Committee.  Even the International Data 
Dictionary translated definitions are not UBL normative.

So examples and explanation can be offered up as suggestions for 
readers ... and the UBL TC might even consider in the future adopting 
them ... but they cannot be considered as normative just because they 
get added by the community.

>I may look if I can set up something a bit like a Wiki at some point.

As Tim said the community has UBL.xml.org but I've already looked 
into using it for just this purpose.  I'll rattle their chain again 
to see if I can do the bulk upload of 2000 definitions, one per wiki 
page.  Then people can add to the definitions with their own ideas of 
examples and explanations and contexts of use.

>* If I join OASIS, where do my membership fees go? I'm not used to
>paying for the privilege of sitting on a committee, so I'd at least
>like to know that the money is going into something useful :-)

That was only to make your definition the candidate SBSC 
definition.  You are still welcome to make your own customization and 
announce it on the UBL.xml.org community web site.  You don't have to 
join to use UBL, I was just suggestiong joining so that your 
contribution to UBL could become an official UBL project, rather than 
a colloquial UBL project.

Yes, I find it worth the money to pay for the privilege to volunteer, 
and to pay for the travel to face-to-face meetings ... you get out of 
it what you put in.  Thankfully individual memberships are very affordable.

>Thanks again for your help. I'll start writing up a few ideas, and pop
>back here from time to time if I have questions about the meaning of
>certain UBL constructs, if you don't mind.

Such questions are most welcome!

Good luck with your preparations.  I'll bring you up to date if I can 
get the definitions loaded up on UBL.xml.org.

. . . . . . . . . . Ken

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G. Ken Holman                 mailto:gkholman@CraneSoftwrights.com
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