[PP-DIALOG] Process for Issue Resolution

["Gil Ohana (gilohana)" <gilohana@xxxxxxxxx>]

Unfortunately, I will not be able to join the PatCom at the meeting in Delhi on Tuesday.  I did want to comment on what I see as the need for PatCom and the Standards Board to put in place a process to make decisions on a variety of issues that have arisen since the IEEE Board of Director’s decision to approve the IEEE-SA’s updated Patent Policy a little more than a year ago. 

 

One of the issues that invites resolution arises because of Qualcomm’s assertion that a “blanket” Letter of Assurance provided by CSR in 2009 applies to 60-odd patents Qualcomm claims are essential to the current draft of 802.11ah.  It appears that Qualcomm is taking the position that these patents will be governed by the By-Laws in the form it existed before March 15, 2015 despite Qualcomm not submitting a Letter of Assurance identifying those patents before March 15, 2015.  The acceptance of Qualcomm’s approach means different participants in the same IEEE-SA standards development activity will be bound by different iterations of the Patent Policy, to the detriment of a transparent standards development process at IEEE-SA.

 

The Patent Committee and the Standards Board should agree on a process to resolve this and other issues, particularly given the implications the issues have for standards development in IEEE 802.11 WG and other standards development activities occurring at IEEE-SA.  It seems to me that the process should, in the best traditions of the Patent Committee, the Standards Board, and IEEE-SA, be an open one, including input provided using the pp-dialog reflector and conference calls including the members of  PatCom and other interested participants.

 

I’m sorry that I will be unable to join you in Delhi.  I hope the meeting is successful.

 

Best regards,

 

Gil Ohana