RFC Copyrights 17 February 2004 ________________________________ File: "ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc-editor/copyright.17Feb04" This updated previous version (file: "ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc-editor/copyright.23Jan01") to coordinate with to RFC 3667/BCP 78 and RFC 3668/BCP 79. It was intended to leave unchanged the historical copyright rules for independent submissions. The HTML version of this document is at: http://www.rfc-editor.org/copyright.17Feb04 [Note Added 1 March 2005] _______________________________ This document summarizes the current rules governing RFC copyrights and disclaimers for intellectual property rights, effective February 17, 2004. It is derived from the IETF documents "IETF Rights in Contributions", BCP 78 (RFC 3667) and "Intellectual Property Rights in IETF Technology", BCP 79 (RFC 3668). These documents are the result of a recent effort by an IETF working group to clarify the IPR rules for the IETF. Topics: o Copyright and Reproduction Rules o Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on RFC Content o Boilerplate within RFCs ____________________________ Copyright and Reproduction Rules BCP 78 (RFC 3667) specifies the copyright rules applicable to RFCs, aligning these rules with modern copyright law. The rules are generally intended to continue the historical policy of maximal freedom for distribution of RFCs. It adds safeguards for the integrity, future availability, and usefulness of published RFCs but otherwise preserves author rights. Since many Internet Drafts (I-Ds) represent work in progress, I-D authors sometimes want to prevent preparation of derivative works. Section 5.2a of BCP 78 (RFC 3667) specifies "no derivative works" (NDW) boilerplate that may be included in an I-D. However, IETF rules generally do not allow NDW boilerplate in documents used in the Internet Standards process (see Section 7.3 of BCP 78). Similarly, the RFC Editor will not generally publish an independent submission with a NDW boilerplate. The exceptions are the publication of proprietary protocols and the publication of specifications developed by other standards organizations, as discussed in Section 7.3 of BCP 78. The following rules control the reproduction of RFCs. 1. Copying and distributing an entire RFC [1] without changes: 1a. Copying for free redistribution is allowed and encouraged. [2] 1b. Inclusion of RFC copies within other documents or collections that are distributed for a fee is allowed. [3] Note: In case (1b), it is a courtesy to ask the RFC author(s) and to provide a copy of the final document or collection. 2. Translating RFCs into other languages: Translation and publication of an entire RFC into another language is allowed. It is courtesy to inform the RFC author(s) of such translation. 3. Copying and distributing an entire RFC with changes in format, font, etc.: Changing format, font, etc. is allowed only with permission of the author(s). With this permission, rule 1. applies. 4. Copying and distributing portions of an RFC: This is what the lawyers call "preparation of derivative works". It is allowed under conditions that differ depending upon the source of the RFC (see BCP 78 for details and definitions.) 4a. Preparation of derivative works from an RFC that was an IETF contribution is allowed, but only for use within the IETF standards process. Proper credit and citations must be provided (BCP 78 Section 3.4(a)). 4b. Preparation of derivative works from an RFC that was an RFC Editor contribution is allowed. Proper credit and citations must be provided (BCP 78 Section 3.4(a)). ________ NOTES: [1] "Entire" includes all the copyright and IPR boilerplate. [2] This validates the present wide mirroring of RFCs on various web sites. [3] Anyone can take some RFCs, put them in a book, copyright the book, and sell it. This in no way inhibits anyone else from doing the same thing, or inhibits any other distribution of the RFCs. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) BCP 79 governs issues concerning possible intellectual property described in RFCs. The RFC Editor's reponsibility is limited to including a "Disclaimer of validity" (Section 5. of BCP 79) in all IETF submissions and in most independent submissions. The RFC Editor will omit this Disclaimer statement from independent submissions when only it is clear that there are no claimed intellectual property rights on the RFC contents, and only when including the Disclaimer would make little sense. Note also that an RFC should not contain a notice of the existence of specific relevant intellectual property (patents, etc.). Boilerplate Within RFCs "ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc-editor/boilerplate17Feb04.txt" contains the normal last-page boilerplate in an RFC (including "Disclaimer of validity" of IPR). The RFC Editor will insert this boilerplate if it is not already in a submission. _____________________ Last modified 21Jul04.