Fwd: WS-SX test materials & 'contributions'

[James Bryce Clark <jamie.clark@oasis-open.org>]

Reposting to WS-SX TC.  Thanks, Kelvin & Chris
Regards Jamie

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008
From: James Bryce Clark <jamie.clark@oasis-open.org>
To: Kelvin Lawrence <klawrenc@us.ibm.com>,	Chris Kaler 
<ckaler@microsoft.com>
CC: Mary McRae <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org>
Subject: WS-SX test materials & 'contributions"

Hello Kelvin & Chris (and team):

     Thanks for your inquiry.  If the Microsoft materials are to be
used in an event or test (as opposed to publication), I see no
issues.  However, if it's intended to be incorporated into an
official TC artifact, like a specification or published
implementation guide from the TC, then it should be contributed in
the normal way, under the OASIS IPR Policy, without any special
conditions.

     The "permission to use" e-mail that you cite below isn't a
contribution to the TC under the OASIS IPR Policy:  it's just a
pointer to the external work (at its own URI).  Which is fine, if
what the TC plans to do is employ the external material in a
plugfest interop test (for example).  The referenced Microsoft
materials are publicly posted, so TC members can evaluate them
freely for suitability, and apparently have done so.  So no problems
there.

     On the other hand, if the TCs wanted to *publish* or
*incorporate* the Microsoft materials into its own TC output, the
posted permissions letter would not suffice.  Our OASIS IPR Policy
only permits 2 kinds of input for re-use or derivation by TCs:
     (a) no-strings public input under our "feedback license", and
     (b) a "contribution" as defined in the IPR Policy.  Such
"contributions" can only be made under the Policy's terms .., which
do not provide for anything like the conditions in the permissions
letter.  If a publication by the TC is expected, Microsoft should
simply post the material to the TC, making it a contribution freely
available for TC use.

   If anyone has questions about the conditionality issue, let's
discuss.  And our thanks to Microsoft for making the materials
available to assist the committee.

Kind regards, Jamie

~ James Bryce Clark
~ Director of Standards Development, OASIS
~ http://www.oasis-open.org/who/staff.php#clark

> Hi Mary,
> Chris and I as chairs of the WS-SX TC took an action to run
> something by you. The TC is preparing an examples document. In
> that document we reference some scenarios that were part of
> another Microsoft document. Microsoft have given the TC
> permission to do this and posted [1] to the TC list confirming
> this. Could you please confirm that this is sufficient per the
> OASIS process. Many thanks in advance.
>
> [1] http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/ws-sx/200803/msg00000.html
>
> Cheers
> Kelvin
> WS-SX co-Chair