Re: [Ietf-and-github] Mail regarding draft-ietf-git-github-wg-configuration, section 3.1 (Contributions)

["Martin Thomson" <[e-mail]>]

On Wed, Mar 6, 2019, at 05:08, Stephan Wenger wrote:
> "The IETF requires in certain cases the disclosure of IP inserted in 
> into Internet Drafts through Contributions; see BCP79.  If a WG using 
> GitHub does not ensure, through technical means, that contributing 
> through GitHub mechanisms falls under the BCP79 definition of 
> Contributions and that contributors through GitHub are aware that they 
> contribute under BCP79, the resulting RFC may run a considerably higher 
> risk of not being deployable through IP encumbrance not known to the 
> WG.  Martin/the IETF/the tools team/whoever provides a handy set of 
> mechanisms for GitHub that to a large extent alleviates that risk--go 
> <here> to download it.  We suggest to use it, or use something else 
> that has the same effect. "

I'm OK with adding more language here, explaining why we have CONTRIBUTING terms and what they should include.  Like (I suspect) Rich, I'm leery of over-proscribing here because there are just too many ways in which IPR-encumbered stuff can leak in.  However, if these notices are in place, tools like GitHub are an improvement in that they provide better audit trails.  It's not much good if we don't have the notices though, so by all means add the text.

Perhaps the authors of this draft have it sitting somewhere in GitHub and you could make a pull request.  I think that half of what you ask for is there, it's just missing some of the rationale-y context.