Re: [arch-d] Draft IAB conflict of interest policy

[John C Klensin <[e-mail]>]

--On Thursday, January 9, 2020 13:14 +0000 Stewart Bryant
<[e-mail]> wrote:
 
>> On 8 Jan 2020, at 23:14, IAB Chair <[e-mail]> wrote:
>> 
>> The IAB requires that all Covered Individuals disclose their
>> main employment, sponsorship, consulting customer, or other
>> sources of income when joining the IAB or whenever there are
>> updates.

> Is this to be a public or a private register of interests?

Stewart's question is important for what may be an additional
reason.  There is a fairly long history of IAB members who often
show up as "independent" but who are full-time consultants with
multiple clients (as distinct from those who serve in
consulting, rather than employee, roles but with one principal
client).  They may have, in the words of the draft, no "main
employment, sponsorship, consulting customer, ...".  In those
situations, it isn't terribly unusual for consulting agreements
to contain requirements that the relationship not be disclosed
by either party without mutual consent.  I've had little trouble
getting consent when there is a substantive reason that doesn't
threaten the reasons for the confidentiality provision and there
are provisions to keep the information from becoming generally
known, but completely public disclosures would probably not fly.

I'd assume that someone working for, or a principal of, a
stealth startup might face similar constraints.

While I applaud the IAB's coming to grips with this issue, let's
be sure we don't do anything that limits the diversity or range
of skills and perspectives of people who can serve on  the IAB
as an accidental side-effect of a well-intentioned policy.

   john