From carson@siggraph.org Fri Oct 14 05:59:31 1994 Received: from siggraph.org by dkuug.dk with SMTP id AA12651 (5.65c8/IDA-1.4.4j for ); Fri, 14 Oct 1994 17:01:50 +0100 Received: from [192.187.162.141] (carson.slip.netcom.com [192.187.162.141]) by siggraph.org (8.6.5/8.6.4) with SMTP id KAA11933 for ; Fri, 14 Oct 1994 10:59:31 -0500 Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 10:59:31 -0500 Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: SC24@dkuug.dk From: carson@siggraph.org (Steve Carson) Subject: Liaison Statement from OMG X-Charset: ASCII X-Char-Esc: 29 The following statement and accompanying letter were received from OMG. They have been assigned number SC24 N1279. It was dealt with by SC24/WG6 PREMO RG this week at its meeting in the US and a series of responses were generated that are being sent separately. (Paper copies of all these documents will be in a future SC24 mailing, as will information copies of some relevant SC21 and JTC1 documents.) We hope that by taking a strong stand in favor of open, consensus based standards, our problems with OMG will eventually be resolved. Steve Carson Acting Chair, SC24 The letter: ----------- To: ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 24 Secretariat From: Object Management Group (C-Liaison to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC21/WG7) Subject: Referencing of OMG specs in ISO/IEC CD 14 478-1,2 Ref: ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 N 1195, Liaison Statement on Formal Description Techniques, N 1196, Object Technology in PREMO. CC: US TAG to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 Date: October 4, 1994 Enclosed is a liaison statement from the Object Management Group (OMG) to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 24. The statement has the approval of OMG President Chris Stone, Vice President and Technical Director Dr. Richard Soley, and Director of Program Management and Chairman of the Liaison Subcommittee Dr. Jon Siegel. The statement refers to OMG's disapproval of attempts by SC24 and its working groups to modify or adapt OMG specifications. We are putting such disapproval into this formal statement because JTC1 SC 24 has not ceased attempts to modify or adapt OMG specifications after being notified several times previously. OMG has established a productive, two-way, working relationship with ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 21 Open Distributed Processing (ODP) which we propose as a model for a relationship with JTC1/SC 24. We are anxious to work with members of SC 24 towards such a goal. Communications to OMG on this matter should be addressed to Dr. Jon Siegel, Chairman of the Liaison Subcommittee for OMG. Respectfully, Jon Siegel Chairman, Liaison Subcommittee and Director of Program Management The accompanying statement: --------------------------- Liaison Statement to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 from the Object Management Group October 5, 1994 The Object Management Group (OMG) has received copies of statements ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 N 1195, Liaison Statement on Formal Description Techniques, and N 1196, Object Technology in PREMO. OMG does not approve of attempts by ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 or any other group to modify or adapt OMG specifications outside of the OMG process. Because OMG is absolutely committed to the stability of its specifications, the Group does not allow modification of these specifications outside of its established and deliberate procedures. This policy has successfully led to the creation of a rapidly growing market already populated by a number of software products representing a large development investment. The OMG revision process is built around a committee which includes all of the original technology contributors. Their recommendations are subject to approval by 2/3 vote of the OMG Technical Committee, followed by vote of the OMG Board of Directors, ensuring the stability we require. In addition to stability, interoperability standards must be adoptable universally in order to be useful. Many groups - not just ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 - would like to modify or extend OMG specifications. Focusing their efforts through OMG avoids otherwise certain divergence into a suite of alternative standards which would lack the commonality required to interoperate. Established OMG procedures allow diverse groups to input requirements into a single, widely-applicable specification. OMG's open membership policy and task-force based technology adoption procedure produce a forum where these groups come together to adopt specifications which take all of their needs into account. OMG offers its specifications to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 for adoption as ISO standard by reference only. Under these conditions OMG will accept - and in fact will welcome - requests from ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 for modifications or extensions to OMG specifications through OMG's established process. OMG has made an identical offer to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC21 WG7 (ODP) and a productive, two-way working relationship has been established. OMG would be pleased to participate in such a relationship with JTC1/SC24 as well. OMG reminds ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 that OMG has only granted permission for limited copying of OMG specifications without change, for purpose of committee deliberation and balloting. JTC1/SC24 has requested additional permissions from OMG but these have been denied, for the reasons stated above. This position is not going to change. OMG does not approve of attempts by JTC1/SC24 members to obtain copyright permission from individual OMG member companies outside of normal OMG process. Although any individual copyright holder can grant permission for JTC1/SC24 to copy, and even modify, an OMG specification, this would not establish a basis for cooperation between the two groups. In fact, OMG would find it almost impossible to cooperate further with JTC1/SC24 should that committee utilize OMG specifications via copyright acquired outside of a liaison relationship directly with OMG itself. --------------------------------------------------------- Steve Carson phone: +1-310-675-2093 GSC Associates Inc. fax: +1-310-675-2159 13254 Jefferson Avenue e-mail: carson@siggraph.org Hawthorne, CA 90250 USA ---------------------------------------------------------