Participation in Incubator Groups (XGs) is open to W3C Member representatives and Invited Experts according to the Process Document's procedures for W3C Working Groups (see the Process Document, particularly the introduction to 6.2.1, and sections 6.2.1.1 and 6.2.1.3), except that the Chair assumes role of the Team Contact as noted in these sections.
The XG Charter proposal must explain any differences from or additions to these defaults.
Like other groups within W3C, Incubator Groups strive to make decisions by consensus, manage dissent and maintain standing of its participants according to the W3C Process Document. The Charter may specify additional mechanisms to enable the group Chair to manage dissent, maintain their chartered scope, and keep to schedule.
Each XG will end:
Following end of the XG, a new charter may be proposed with an incremental duration such that the total duration of the XG will not exceed two years.
Refinements to an XG Charter may be made by the XG on a consensus basis during the first month of operation. Only those changes that propose to alter significantly the scope or method of work must first be cleared with the Activity Lead.
An Incubator Group Charter includes patent policy requirements for Participants in that group.
All XG Participants have the disclosure obligations of the W3C Patent Policy. In addition, an XG charter includes one from the following menu of options, described in full below:
The [Name] Incubator Group provides an opportunity to share perspectives on [Topic]. W3C reminds Incubator Group participants of their obligation to comply with patent disclosure obligations as set out in Section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy. While the Incubator Group does not produce Recommendation-track documents, when Incubator Group participants review Recommendation-track specifications from Working Groups, the patent disclosure obligations do apply.
Incubator Groups have as a goal to produce work that can be implemented on a Royalty Free basis, as defined in the W3C Patent Policy. The W3C Team is responsible for notifying all Participants in this Incubator Group in the event that a new Working Group is proposed to develop a Recommendation that takes the XG Report as an input.
The [Name] Incubator Group provides an opportunity to share perspectives on [Topic]. W3C reminds Incubator Group participants of their obligation to comply with patent disclosure obligations as set out in Section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy. While the Incubator Group does not produce Recommendation-track documents, when Incubator Group participants review Recommendation-track specifications from Working Groups, the patent disclosure obligations do apply.
Incubator Groups have as a goal to produce work that can be implemented on a Royalty Free basis, as defined in the W3C Patent Policy. All Participants in this XG must make a statement that they Agree or Do not agree with the following commitment:
The Participant I represent agrees to offer patent licenses according to the W3C Royalty-Free licensing requirements described in Section 5 of the W3C Patent Policy for any portions of the XG Reports produced by this XG that are subsequently incorporated into a W3C Recommendation produced by a Working Group which is chartered to take the XG Report as an input. This licensing commitment may not be revoked but may be modified through the Exclusion process defined in Section 4 of the Patent Policy.
Note: A Participant in this type of XG may change a "Do not agree" statement to an "Agree" statement at any time (even after the close of the XG). A Participant is not permitted to change an "Agree" statement to a "Do not agree" statement.
Note: Operationally, to change a statement a Participant uses the "join" form identified in the Call for Participation and available from the home page for that XG. AC Representatives make these changes for participating Members.
Participants in this Incubator Group who "Agree" with the above statement and who wish to exclude essential patent claims from the licensing commitment must join the Working Group created to work on the XG Report and follow the normal exclusion procedures defined by the Patent Policy. The W3C Team is responsible for notifying all Participants in this Incubator Group in the event that a new Working Group is proposed to develop a Recommendation that takes the XG Report as an input.
The [Name] Incubator Group provides an opportunity to share perspectives on [Topic]. W3C reminds Incubator Group participants of their obligation to comply with patent disclosure obligations as set out in Section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy. While the Incubator Group does not produce Recommendation-track documents, when Incubator Group participants review Recommendation-track specifications from Working Groups, the patent disclosure obligations do apply.
Incubator Groups have as a goal to produce work that can be implemented on a Royalty Free basis, as defined in the W3C Patent Policy.
Participants agree to offer patent licenses according to the W3C Royalty-Free licensing requirements described in Section 5 of the W3C Patent Policy for any portions of the XG Reports produced by this XG that are subsequently incorporated into a W3C Recommendation produced by a Working Group which is chartered to take the XG Report as an input. This licensing commitment may not be revoked but may be modified through the Exclusion process defined in Section 4 of the Patent Policy.
Participants in this Incubator Group wishing to exclude essential patent claims from the licensing commitment must join the Working Group created to work on the XG Report and follow the normal exclusion procedures defined by the Patent Policy. The W3C Team is responsible for notifying all Participants in this Incubator Group in the event that a new Working Group is proposed to develop a Recommendation that takes the XG Report as an input.
Royalty-Free licensing commitments for the XG Report produced by an XG will facilitate transition to the W3C Recommendation Track. All current and past XG Participant disclosures and licensing commitments must be part of any proposal to charter a W3C Working Group to move an XG Report through the Recommendation Track. No Activity Proposal arising out of XG work will be circulated to the Advisory Committee without this information. Failure to secure W3C Royalty-Free commitments from each Participant may necessitate the establishment of a Patent Advisory Group (PAG) prior to the start of the Working Group.
If and when a proposed Charter is approved, the W3C will announce the start of the new XG to the Membership and to the public. Prior to approval of the proposal, the initiating Members must not refer in public to a proposed XG Charter as "submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium" or "under consideration by W3C" or any similar phrase, nor should there be any implication that W3C is working on the submitted proposal with the initiating Members. The Submitter may publish the documents referenced by the proposed Charter at any time.
XG participants may work with the W3C Communications Team to make their own press announcements at any time.
Please recall that per the W3C Process Document, all liaisons with other organizations must be coordinated by the Team due to requirements for public communication; patent, copyright, and other IPR policies; confidentiality agreements; and mutual membership agreements.