Re: RIM patents using a mime body in a message (and ignores IETF IPR rules)

[Simon Josefsson <[e-mail]>]

Russ Housley <[e-mail]> writes:

> John-Luc:
>
> I am sending this note to help you understand the IETF IPR policies;
> they are fully described in BCP 79
> (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/bcp/bcp79.txt).  I hope this note clarifies
> the responsibilities of RIM employees (and anyone else) who
> participate in IETF.
>
> IETF participants engage as individuals, not as representatives of
> their employers (See Section B.1 of RFC 4677;
> http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4677.txt).  The obligation to follow the
> IPR policies in BCP 79 is an individual one, not a corporate one.
> Section 6.1of BCP 79 is quite clear; IETF Participants are required to
> disclose IPR which they "reasonably and personally know" applies to a
> Contribution.  The BCP specifically excludes cases in which a
> participant is unaware of IPR held by their employer.

John-Luc said he is bound by confidentiality obligations from his
company, and I think the same applies to most employees of larger
organizations.  There is nothing explicit in BCP 79 to protect against
this apparent conflict of interest, or is there?

/Simon

> Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further clarification.
>
> Russ Housley
> IETF Chair
>
>
> At 06:46 PM 11/19/2009, John-Luc Bakker wrote:
>>Dear all,
>>
>>With regard to the recent discussion regarding RIM's recent IPR
>>disclosures, I understand the community's concerns regarding the
>>timeliness of the disclosure.  As employees of companies we are bound by
>>confidentiality obligations and, in addition, cannot always control our
>>company's internal processes.  The community's concerns have been
>>brought to the attention of my employer and they are in the process of
>>evaluating the concerns.  My company has asked for your patience while
>>they take the time to evaluate the concerns and determine if there is an
>>appropriate course of action in this matter to alleviate the concerns of
>>the community.
>>
>>Your understanding is appreciated.
>>
>>Kind regards,
>>
>>         John-Luc