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Frequently Asked Questions

Project ID: 48

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS

Q: What is Open Source?

A: Open Source is digital work for which the human-readable source code is available—in the preferred form for making modifications—for use, study, re-use, modification, enhancement, and re-distribution by the users. Open Source applies to software and hardware, which may include computer code, hardware designs, data, documentation, documents, and other digital objects.

Q: What are Contributor License Agreements (CLAs)?

A: Contributor License Agreements are agreements that each Contributor to IEEE Open Source Projects submits prior to making a Contribution. The CLA provides the rights needed by IEEE to publish the material under an Open Source license. These rights map to the rights that the Open Source license grants to any users of the Open Source. CLAs are available at https://opensource.ieee.org/community/cla. Also see [CLA FAQs].

Q: Where can I obtain guidance for the role of Maintainer or Committer?

A: The IEEE SA Board of Governors (BoG) Open Source Operations Manual and Maintainers Manual contain guidance on and information about the roles of Maintainer and Committer. You can also direct questions to the IEEE Open Source Community Manager.

Q: Who is the IEEE SA Open Source Community Manager? IEEE SA Intellectual Property Rights? What are their roles?

A: The IEEE SA Open Source Community Manager is an IEEE staff role that provides strategic and technical guidance and support to IEEE Open Source Projects. The Community Manager also oversees the operation of the IEEE Open Source Platform, provides guidance to parties interested in initiating Open Source Projects. IEEE SA Intellectual Property Rights is also an IEEE staff role, which is responsible for managing intellectual property matters associated with Open Source Projects, including but not limited to, licenses, IP requirements, and verification of IP compliance.

CONTRIBUTOR LICENSE AGREEMENTS (CLAs)

Q: When do I need to submit a Contributor License Agreement?

A: Contributor License Agreements are submitted prior to making a Contribution to an IEEE Open Source Project.

Q: What is the difference between an Individual CLA and an Entity CLA?

A: An Individual CLA is completed by a person who owns the material and any associated IP that the person is submitting to the IEEE Open Source Project. An Entity CLA is completed by a person authorized to grant a license to IEEE on behalf of an entity. Any person authorized to make Contributions on behalf of the entity is listed in the Entity CLA.

Q: When should I complete Appendix A along with the CLA?

A: If you are employed by the US Federal Government or are a Crown employee, and cannot provide a license to IEEE for your Contributions, then you must complete Appendix A.

Q: What are my options for what material a CLA applies to?

A: There are three options on each CLA that determine to what material the CLA applies. The CLA can apply to 1) all your Contributions to any IEEE Open Source Project, 2) all your Contributions to a specific IEEE Standards Project, or 3) to only the current Contribution to a specific IEEE Standards Project. Each CLA has to indicate how the submitter wants the CLA to apply.

Q: Are CLA numbers confidential? Who should be permitted to know my CLA number?

A: Yes, CLA numbers are confidential, and should only be provided to the Maintainer of an IEEE Open Source Project or IEEE staff.

Q: If I have questions on CLAs or Open Source at IEEE, who should I contact?

A: Send any CLA or policy questions to oscontrib@ieee.org. All other open source questions and requests should be submitted to opensource@ieee.org

OPEN SOURCE AND THE STANDARDS PROCESS

Q: By incorporating Open Source, is the IEEE standard also automatically Open Source?

A: No. The IEEE standard can be provided separately from the incorporated Open Source. The open source material is published publicly on the IEEE Open Source Platform.

Q: How can I indicate interest in incorporating Open Source as a part of an IEEE SA Project?

A: You are not required to indicate your intent to incorporate open source in the PAR. It is recommended to indicate your intent to incorporate open source in the scope on your PAR, but it is not a requirement.

Q: Where do I obtain approval to use the IEEE Open Source Platform, and when should I obtain this approval?

A: Approval for use of the IEEE Open Source Platform is obtained from the IEEE SA Board of Governors Open Source Committee. This can be done after approval of the PAR.

Q: What information about Open Source do I need to include in the PAR, and where would I put this information?

A: You are not required to indicate your intent to incorporate open source in the PAR. It is recommended to indicate your intent to incorporate open source in the scope on your PAR, but it is not a requirement.

Q: How do I know I am approved to incorporate Open Source in an IEEE SA Project?

A: If the IEEE SA Standards Board approves a PAR that indicates that Open Source will be incorporated, and shows an approved Open Source license under which the development will occur, then the Working Group is approved to incorporate Open Source in the IEEE SA Project.

Q: What Open Source licenses are approved for IEEE standards development? Where can I see these licenses?

A: IEEE SA has currently approved two licenses for use by standards development groups---Apache 2.0 and BSD 3-Clause. These licenses are available from the organizations responsible for those licenses. For Apache 2.0, see the Apache Foundation website at https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0. For BSD 3-Clause, see the Open Source Initiative website at https://opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause.

Q: How do I choose a license for my project?

A: Email opensource@ieee.org for questions about the approved options for licenses and for help choosing the license that’s right for your project.

Q: Does my Working Group need to vote on what type of license will be applicable for Open Source incorporated in the Working Group’s draft standard?

A: The Working Group should agree on the type of license prior to requesting permission to develop Open Source under that license. A Working Group vote is a good way to document that agreement.

Q: What is the Working Group Open Source Leadership Team? What does it do?

A: The Working Group Open Source Leadership Team consists of the Open Source Lead, Maintainer, and other members of the Working Group who will be responsible for addressing submissions to, and updates of, the Open Source, and responding to any comments on the Open Source.

Q: How will my normal Working Group activities be affected by incorporating Open Source?

A: The Working Group will have a subgroup, the Open Source Leadership Team, that will be responsible for coordinating the development of any IEEE Open Source Project incorporated in the draft. If Working Group members would like to contribute to the Open Source, they must submit applicable CLAs for the Open Source Project. Ballot Group members and Public Reviewers must be informed of the incorporation of Open Source prior to initial ballot, and specific Open Source information will be included in the front matter of the draft. Ballot comments will need to indicate comments against the Open Source Project, and the Open Source Leadership Team will need to work with the Comment Resolution Group to respond to comments on the Open Source. RevCom will audit the processes for the consensus ballot as well as the Open Source.

Q: How will the SA ballot and Public Review be affected by incorporating Open Source?

A: The Open Source will need to be made available to balloters and public review commenters. Balloters and public review commenters must be informed of the incorporation of Open Source prior to initial ballot. Ballot comments will need to indicate comments against the Open Source Project, and the Open Source Leadership Team will need to work with the Comment Resolution Group to respond to comments on the Open Source.

If a balloter or public review commentor, wishes to include in their comment an actial contribution to the open source materials (e.g. a patch containing a significant amount of changes to the open source code), then they must submit a CLA, otherwise the Working Group may not be able to consider the Contribution until an applicable CLA is submitted. The Working Group could still consider and respond to the comment itself without a CLA being submitted.

Q: What if a Contributor does not submit a CLA but proposes changes to Open Source developed by the Working Group?

A: If the comment is itself not intended as a Contribution, no CLA is required. If the commentor were you to include in their comment a significant amount of textual changes to the open source code, which usually provided in the form of a patch file or git 'merge request', then this would be a comment that includes in it Contributions to the open source project. The Working Group has to inform the Contributor that a CLA must be submitted prior to making a Contribution to the open source project, and that the Working Group may not be able to consider Contributions to the open source project if it is not submitted under a valid and applicable CLA.

Q: Is the Open Source Leadership Team a part of the Comment Resolution Group?

A: Yes, members of the (WG?) Open Source Leadership Team (at least the Open Source Lead and a Maintainer) shall be a part of the Comment Resolution Group.

Q: How does the Working Group respond to comments on the Open Source during comment resolution?

A: All responses to comments on the Open Source shall be included in comment resolution during SA ballot and Public Review.

Q: How does incorporation of Open Source affect the content of a Working Group draft?

A: Specific information on CLAs and access to the Open Source is included in the front matter of the draft. In addition, references to Open Source in the draft shall comply with the IEEE SA Standards Board Operations Manual and IEEE Standards Style Manual.

Q: How will the Open Source be made available during Working Group draft development? SA ballot and Public Review? Final publication?

A: IEEE Open Source incorporated in an IEEE standard will be made available on the IEEE Open Source Platform (opensource.ieee.org) during draft development, SA ballot, Public Review, and final publication.