copyright holder

[MATHIS@USC-ISIF.ARPA]

One of the problems in standards work is liability.  As an
informal partnership we can certainly copyright the various
working documents; but we should be clear that this is only a
technical proposal, which should keep us out of legal problems
until we get very close to the standardization (by which time
this will all have to be resolved).

Two recent situations point up potential difficulties.  In one a
manufacturer of steam pressure gauges went out of business
because of a change in standards for such gauges by the Amer Soc
of Mech Eng; they sued and won.  In another situation a life
insurance company threatened to sue members of the COBOL
Committee over changes they were proposing which might cost users
of the standard; they hasn't really happened (yet).  I don't
think we are in any danger if we continue to treat our work at
this stage as a technical proposal.  By the time we get to the
voting phases of the standards process, we will have all these
issues resolved.

-- Bob