Re: [xml-dev] Micro-XML is now a proposed W3C group

[John Cowan <cowan@mercury.ccil.org>]

Michael Kay scripsit:

> If John has a contract of employment that gives his employer automatic
> IP rights on any work he does,

John's local law gives his employer copyright ownership of his grocery
lists, along with these words you are reading.  That's one reason why
there's never been a Silicon Valley analogue in NYC.

> then it's entirely reasonable that W3C should ask for an assurance
> that his employer has waived those rights in respect of his
> contribution to this project;

The trouble is that $EMPLOYER doesn't want to be bothered making sure
that they can safely sign any such document.  Why should they expend
their precious bodily fluids^W^Wlegal talent making sure it's safe for
them to do so?

Ironically, becoming an invited expert to a W3C WG (which I have
been for years, with brief interruptions when I was actually a
representative) is actually easier: I merely have to represent that I
"received permission to make contributions on behalf of that employer or
that the employer has waived such rights for the contributions to W3C".
I have had no trouble with that, as I get informal assurances to that
effect from each employer.

But getting a document signed is a whole different story.

> it's important that W3C's output carries no risk of potential IP
> claims from member companies.

Here, $EMPLOYER is not a member company, so if it has an IP claim to
raise, there's nothing to prevent it.

-- 
And it was said that ever after, if any                 John Cowan
man looked in that Stone, unless he had a               cowan@ccil.org
great strength of will to turn it to other              http://ccil.org/~cowan
purpose, he saw only two aged hands withering
in flame.   --"The Pyre of Denethor"