JSR348-94: Spec leads can end-of-life a Specification, withdraw licenses

[apastsya]

Jira issue originally created by user sean_sheedy:

Text in section 1.1.3 Changes to Licensing Terms and 4.3 Final Release provide an opportunity for Spec Leads to end a spec's life and withdraw the license. Instances of word "lifetime" should be removed and text reworded to indicate that once released, abiilty to implement is perpetual (unless stated in original JSR filing, perhaps.)

Also, the rule for dealing with broken links can push a JSR back to its pre-release point, where it has no license, no IP assignment, etc. (section 4.3, paragraphs 548-554) Someone wishing to withdraw a license could flip this rule around, break the link, get kicked back to a pre-release state, then refuse to ever finish the JSR.

[apastsya]

• is duplicated by JSR348-145: RI/TCK licenses permitted that allow Ri/TCK to effectively be withdrawn by spec lead

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

Re "Text in section 1.1.3 Changes to Licensing Terms and 4.3 Final Release provide an opportunity for Spec Leads to end a spec's life and withdraw the license. Instances of word "lifetime" should be removed and text reworded to indicate that once released, abiilty to implement is perpetual (unless stated in original JSR filing, perhaps.)"

I agree, the use of the term "lifetime" was unfortunate, and we need to rewrite that section. I'll take a stab at it.

Re: "Also, the rule for dealing with broken links can push a JSR back to its pre-release point, where it has no license, no IP assignment, etc. (section 4.3, paragraphs 548-554) Someone wishing to withdraw a license could flip this rule around, break the link, get kicked back to a pre-release state, then refuse to ever finish the JSR."

Spec Leads can (and I suspect some do) do this today. We cannot force a Spec Lead to actually offer a license to anyone - only shine a spotlight on their obligation to do so. This new wording was introduced to deal with situations where the links to the RI and TCK (or to information on how to obtain them) are broken.

In practice I doubt that this would ever be applied - unless the Spec Lead really was AWOL, in which case at least we'd be recognizing reality rather than pretending that the RI and TCK were actually available. Rather, it will allow the PMO to put some pressure on the majority of Spec Leads who want to do the right thing.

And by the way - we explicitly say that IP previously assigned is unchanged.

Bottom-line: removing this new wording won't make anything any better than it is today. I think we should keep it.

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

Notes from discussion during the September f2f meeting.

We can't fix most of this in the Process Doc - must be fixed in JSPA since that is where the obligation to license the JSR is called out, and where there are no limits on the duration of this obligation and no statement of what should happen if the Spec Lead fails to live up to these requirements.

I will add an item to the JSR2 list.

In the meantime, I think we agreed that the only thing we can/should specify in this version of the Process Document is that if the PMO fails to obtain valid links to the RI and TCK the JSR whould be "withdrawn." (We agreed that rolling it back to a pre-Final Release stage makes no sense.)

This should be clarified at the next Working Group meeting.

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

This isn't perfect, but in the absence of JSPA changes I think it's the best we can do.

I added two new definitions:

JSR Withdrawal Ballot: An EC ballot to confirm that a completed JSR that appears to have been abandoned should be withdrawn.

Maintenance Release Withdrawal Ballot: An EC ballot to confirm that a completed Maintenance Release that appears to have been abandoned should be withdrawn.

In Section 4.3 - Final Release I modified the text relating to broken links to read:

"The Maintenance Lead must ensure that the links to the RI and TCK remain valid. If the links become broken or non-functional, the Maintenance Lead will have 30 days following notification from the PMO to correct them. If the problems are not corrected within 30 days the PMO will initiate a JSR Withdrawal Ballot (if no Maintenance Release has been completed) or a Maintenance Release Withdrawal Ballot (if a Maintenance Release has been made) to determine whether the Maintenance Lead shall be judged to have abandoned the JSR. If the ballot passes the JSR itself or the relevant Maintenance Release will be marked as withdrawn."

Need feedback on this before closing...

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

Fixed

[apastsya]

Issue was closed with resolution "Fixed"