Register an Internet Media Type for a W3C Spec

1. New Procedure: Registration template in spec, no RFC

This procedure has been written in preparation for approval of Media Type Specifications and Registration Procedures and publication as an RFC. While a few details need to be worked out in cooperation with the IETF, the expected time for this to happen seems to be short enough to be able to recommend that WGs that can start at the start of this process should actually start using this process.

Note: Once a media type has been published by the IANA, the owner may request a change to its definition. The same procedure that would be appropriate for the original registration request is used to process a change request. See also Section 9, Change Procedures in BCP 13.

1. Draft a proposal for the Media Type registration as a normative part of your specification, following the instructions in Media Type Specifications and Registration Procedures, section 4, and the template in section 10. Make sure that this part of the specification is readable on its own, without the context of the specification. If you are using XML, see RFC 6839 requirements and section 4.5.7 Media types for XML of the World Wide Web Architecture as well. In the introduction to the relevant section, say that this registration is for community review and will be submitted to the IESG for review, approval, and registration with IANA.
2. When doing the W3C Last Call announcement: Send an email to the mailing list media-types@ietf.org asking for comments on the Media Type section of your specification:
   • Include a pointer to and a plaintext copy (not just an attachment) of the Media Type registration section in your email to media-types@ietf.org.
   • Make sure you address and reply to comments and questions on media-types@ietf.org. If you change the registration in your specification as a result of comments on ietf-type (or for any other reason), send the revised version to media-types@ietf.org.
   • If you are registering an XML-based format, you may want to cc: ietf-xml-mime@imc.org.
   • Note that you need to be subscribed to the list to post to it.
   • To make it easier for your WG to track comments on the Media Type section, you may cross-post the comments list for your specification.
3. As part of the preparation of moving out of Last Call (to W3C Candidate Recommendation or beyond):
   • Change the introduction to the registration information to say that it is being submitted to the IESG for review, approval, and registration with IANA (see also MediaTypes - IESG).
   • Send a request to Wendy Seltzer and Philippe Le Hégaret, IETF liaisons, with the following information:
     1. Statement asking us to request review and approval by the IESG, and registration by IANA (so that we know what this is about).
     2. Expected date of state transition (publication in TR), and next state (CR or PR) (so that we know when we can send this to the IESG, and don’t loose time).
     3. Pointer to registration template at the place it will be published (dated and undated), so that we can tell the IESG what to review.
     4. Pointer to Last Call email to media-types@ietf.org (archives) and following discussion/comment resolution (relevant threads in email archive and/or relevant part of Last Call resolution table), so that we can show to the IESG that this has received appropriate community review.

     If any of the above information changes, send an update.

4. As part of the preparation for later state transitions (CR->PR, PR->REC):
   1. Check on progress of registration, first directly at IANA, and if your type is not yet registered there, contact Wendy Seltzer and Philippe Le Hégaret, IETF liaisons, who will check with the IESG.
   2. Update the introduction to the registration information in your specification to say either “registered with IANA at…” or “under review by the IESG…”, as applicable.
   3. If your registration points to a dated version, request update of the registration via Wendy Seltzer and Philippe Le Hégaret, IETF liaisons.

2. Old Procedure: Registration with an RFC

This is the plain old way to register a Media Type by producing an RFC. This is recommended for cases where the specification does not contain the registration information, and updating the specification just for adding the registration information does not seem feasible.

1. Create and submit an Internet-Draft containing a proposal for the Media Type registration, following the instructions in RFC6838, section 4. If you are using XML, see RFC6839 requirements as well.
   1. See Guidelines to Authors of Internet-Drafts; for editing the draft, we recommend XML2RFC.
   2. An online validity checker is available.
   3. Submit the Internet-Draft for publication at http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/ by sending it to the Internet-Drafts editor at internet-drafts@ietf.org.
   4. Internet-Drafts expire after 6 months; if needed, resubmit the draft.
2. Send an email to the mailing list media-types@ietf.org asking for comments on your draft:
   • Include a plaintext copy of the draft in your email to media-types@ietf.org (i.e. not an attachment).
   • Make sure you address and reply to comments and questions on media-types@ietf.org. Create and submit an updated Internet-Draft if needed.
   • If you are registering an XML-based format, you may want to cc: ietf-xml-mime@imc.org.
   • Note that you need to be subscribed to the list to post to it.
   • RFC6838 section “5.1. Preliminary Community Review” encourages the information to be available for a review period.
3. Once all issues raised have been addressed in a published Internet-Draft, send an email to the IESG to request IESG approval for your Media Type registration (example), publication of the Internet-Draft as an informational RFC, and registration of the Media Type with IANA.
   • cc: Wendy Seltzer and Philippe Le Hégaret, IETF liaisons, on your email.
   • Follow the progress of your Internet-Draft on the IETF ID Tracker.
   • Respond promptly to requests from the IESG, in particular from the Area Director shepherding your Internet-Draft.
   • If necessary, update your Internet-Draft.
   • In case of questions or problems, contact Wendy Seltzer and Philippe Le Hégaret, IETF liaisons, and/or the Area Director shepherding your Internet-Draft.

3. Status of Internet Media type registrations

(specs/entries missing: p3p?, xml schema?, cc/pp? xkms?)

Spec	Spec Status	Info in Spec	Type (proposed)	Registration Status	Remarks	Plans	Contact
Cascading Style Sheets, level 2 (CSS2)	REC	section 3.4	text/css	registered	RFC 2318	use CSS3 to move info to spec?	Bert Bos
Extensible MultiModal Annotation markup language (EMMA)	PR	B.1 Registration of MIME media type application/emma+xml	application/emma+xml	registered		-	Kazuyuki Ashimura
HTML 4.01	REC	-	text/html	registered	RFC 2854 see also XHTML Media Types	template in HTML 5	Mike Smith
HTML5	WD	12.2: full template	(text/html-sandboxed)			follow new process	Mike Smith
HTML5	WD	12.4: full template	(text/cache-manifest)			follow new process	Mike Smith
The Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML 1.0)	REC	Section 5.1	application/xhtml+xml	registered	RFC 3236 see also XHTML Media Types	template in HTML 5	Mike Smith
Ink Markup Language (InkML)	CR	App. B: full template	(application/inkml+xml)	-	Submitted to IESG for approval	template in spec => new registration process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Timed Text (TT) Authoring Format	REC	App C: full template	(application/ttml+xml)	-	Submitted to IESG for approval	Check in with IESG?	Timed Text Working Group (public-tt@w3.org)
Mathematical Markup Language (MathML 3.0)	REC	Appendix B.2: full template	application/mathml+xml	registered	-	-	Paul Libbrecht (member-math@w3.org)
Mathematical Markup Language (MathML 3.0)	REC	Appendix B.3: full template	application/mathml-presentation+xml	registered	-	-	Paul Libbrecht (member-math@w3.org)
Mathematical Markup Language (MathML 3.0)	REC	Appendix B.4: full template	application/mathml-content+xml	registered	-	-	Paul Libbrecht (member-math@w3.org)
Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER): Description Resources	REC	Appendix B	(application/powder+xml)		Need to address comments from IESG. Full template need to be in errata.	Check in plh	Phil Archer
Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER): Description Resources	REC	Appendix C	(application/powder-s+xml)		Need to address comments from IESG. Full template need to be in errata	Check in with plh	Phil Archer
Portable Network Graphics (PNG)	REC	Annex A	image/png	registered	registration by email	-	Glenn Randers-Pehrson
Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML 2.0)	REC	App. N: no template	application/voicexml+xml	registered	RFC4267	use old process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Pronunciation Lexicon Specification	REC	-	application/pls+xml	registered	RFC4267	use old process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Voice Browser Call Control: CCXML Version 1.0	LC	Appendix I, full template?!	application/ccxml+xml	registered	RFC4267	use old process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SGRS) abnf	REC	App. G: no template	application/srgs	registered	RFC4267	use old process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SRGS) xml	REC	App. G: no template	application/srgs+xml	registered	RFC4267	use old process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML 1.0)	REC	App. E: no template	application/ssml+xml	registered	RFC4267	use old process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
State Chart XML (SCXML): State Machine Notation for Control Abstraction 1.0	WD	-		-		follow new process	Kazuyuki Ashimura
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL 2.0)	REC	Section 2.3.1: no template	application/smil	-	obsoleted in SMIL 2.1 and RFC 4536	-	Philipp Hoschka
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL 2.1)	REC	Section 2.4.1: no template	application/smil+xml	registered	RFC 4536	-	Philipp Hoschka
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1 (Second Edition)	LC	App. P: full template	image/svg+xml	registered	-	-	Chris Lilley, Doug Schepers (member-svg-media-type@w3.org).
SOAP 1.2	REC	(Part2, App. A, full template)	application/soap+xml	registered	RFC 3902	-	Mark Nottingham
XML-binary Optimized Packaging	REC	Section 5, full template	application/xop+xml	registered	-	-	Mark Nottingham
Web Services Description Language (WSDL 2.0)	REC	App. A: full template	application/wsdl+xml	registered	-	-	Philippe Le Hégaret
Web Services Policy 1.5	REC	Appendix A, full template	application/wspolicy+xml	registered	-	-	Felix Sasaki
Widget Packaging and Configuration	CR	Appendix, full template	application/widget	registered	-	-	Steven Pemberton, member-webapps@w3.org
Extensible Markup Language (XML)	REC	App. F.2	application/xml	registered	RFC 3023	Waiting for an update	Chris Lilley
Extensible Markup Language (XML)	REC	App. F.2	text/xml	registered	RFC 3023 deprecated in next version	Waiting for an update	Chris Lilley
Extensible Markup Language (XML)	REC	-	application/xml-external-parsed-entity	registered	RFC 3023	Waiting for an update	Chris Lilley
Extensible Markup Language (XML)	REC	-	application/xml-dtd	registered	RFC 3023	Waiting for an update	Chris Lilley
Extensible Markup Language (XML)	REC	-	text/xml-external-parsed-entity	registered	RFC 3023 deprecated in next version	Waiting for an update	Chris Lilley
Efficient XML Interchange	CR	App F.2, full template	application/exi	registered			W3C
XML Encryption	REC	Section 8, template	application/xenc+xml	registered	-	-	José Kahan
XProc: An XML Pipeline Language	REC	App. I, full template	(application/xproc+xml)	-	Nothing done. Reping spec author.	Check in with Norm and Henry	public-xml-processing-model-comments@w3.org
XQuery 1.0	REC	App. I, full template	(application/xquery)	-	Next step is IESG review	Check in with Liam	Liam Quin, Jim Melton
XML Syntax for XQuery (XQueryX 1.0)	REC	Appendix C, full template	(application/xquery+xml)	-	Next step is IESG review	Check in with Liam	Liam Quin, Jim Melton
XSL Transformations (XSLT 2.0)	REC	App. B, full template	application/xslt+xml	registered	-	-	Liam Quin, Norman Walsh
RDF/XML	REC	Section 4: no template	application/rdf+xml	registered	RFC 3870	-	Dan Connolly
SPARQL Query Language for RDF	REC	Appendix E - full template	application/sparql-query	registered	-	-	Eric Prud'hommeaux <public-rdf-dawg-comments@w3.org>
SPARQL Query Results XML Format	REC	Section 5: full template	application/sparql-results+xml	registered	-	-	Eric Prud'hommeaux <public-rdf-dawg-comments@w3.org>
Serializing SPARQL Query Results in JSON	Note	Internet Media Type, File Extension and Macintosh File Type	(application/sparql-results+json)	wait for RDF Core to work out their RDF JSON serialization, then align with them	-	-	Kendall Clark, Elias Torres, Lee Feigenbaum <public-rdf-dawg-comments@w3.org>
Turtle - Terse RDF Triple Language	Note	Internet Media Type, File Extension and Macintosh File Type	text/turtle	registered	-	-	Eric Prud'hommeaux
Turtle - Terse RDF Triple Language	Note	Internet Media Type, File Extension and Macintosh File Type	text/n3	registered	-	-	Eric Prud'hommeaux
RIF Core Dialect	REC	Appendix: RIF Media Type Registration	(application/rif+xml)	under review		Check in with Sandro?	Sandro Hawke
OWL 2 Web Ontology Language: Structural Specification and Functional-Style Syntax	LC	Appendix: Internet Media Type, File Extension, and Macintosh File Type	(text/owl-functional)	under review	Address comments from media-types?	Request IESG review. Check in Sandro first.	Sandro Hawke
OWL 2 Web Ontology Language: Manchester Syntax	Note	Appendix: Internet Media Type, File Extension and Macintosh File Type	(text/owl-manchester)	-	Needs media-types review.	-	Sandro Hawke
OWL 2 Web Ontology Language: XML Serialization	REC	Appendix: Internet Media Type, File Extension, and Macintosh File Type	(application/owl+xml)	under review	Address comments from media-types?	Request IESG review. Check in Sandro first.	Sandro Hawke
WOFF File Format 1.0	PR	Appendix B: Media Type registration	(application/font-woff)	-	-	Submitted to IESG for approval review	Chris Lilley

4. History

• superseded 5 August 2014 by the 2014 version
• created 28 June 2002 by Joseph Reagle
• Status table and new process added, mostly during 2004, by Martin Dürst
• See TAG discussion from August 2006.