W3C is pleased to receive the DAML+OIL Submission from Lucent and their collaborators.
DAML+OIL was developed by a joint US/EU Agent Markup Language committee, with participation from the DAML project and from the OIL project. The proceedings of this joint committee are available to the public.
DAML+OIL has reached a considerable level of implementation of deployment, including a library of 170 ontologies and a collection of 39 tools.
The submission includes two forms of formal specification (axiomatic and model-theoretic semantics) as well as a walkthru, reference materials, and RDF/xml vocabulary description.
The W3C Semantic Web Activity includes an advanced development component which devotes W3C Team resources to research and development of Semantic Web technology. This includes a "Semantic Web Development" project funded under the DARPA DAML project. The W3C Team participated in the development of DAML+OIL as part of this project.
The submission request includes an assurance of royalty-free license of any patent claims essential to implement DAML+OIL from six of the seven collaborators. The collaborator from Lucent, Peter F. Patel-Schneider "has no personal knowledge of any patents or patent applications owned by Lucent Technologies, Inc., which apply to the DAML+OIL submission," but Lucent has not agreed to license any patent claims it may have on a royalty-free basis. Instead, Lucent reserves the right to charge a reasonable, non-discriminatory fee for use of any essential patent claims it may hold.The "licensing practice described in a letter on file with the W3C dated March 1, 1999" from Lucent states:
This is to affirm that Lucent Technologies Inc., in accordance with long-established practice, will offer patent licenses for submissions made by it which are adopted or recommended as a standard by your organization as follows:
If part(s) of a submission by Lucent is(are) included in a standard and Lucent has patents and/or pending application(s) that are essential to implementation of such included part(s) in said standard, Lucent is prepared to grant - on the basis of receiprocity (grantback) - a license on such included part(s) on reasonable, non-discriminatory terms and conditions.
As noted below, this submission will be considered by the Web Ontology Working Group, which is required by charter to produce a specification that can be implemented on a royalty-free basis. The fact that one of the submitters has not made a royalty-free commitment is a potential roadblock to this work. If any specific patent claims that may be essential to implement the specification are disclosed by Lucent or anyone, then a Patent Advisory Group would be formed to consider the implications and make recommendations as to whether or how to proceed.
The submission request suggest that this work be considered as a starting point for work in the Web Ontology (WebOnt) Working Group in the Semantic Web Activity.
Discussion of this technology is encouraged on the www-rdf-logic mailing list (public archive).
Disclaimer: Placing a Submission on a Working Group/Interest Group agenda does not imply endorsement by either the W3C Staff or the participants of the Working Group/Interest Group, nor does it guarantee that the Working Group/Interest Group will agree to take any specific action on a Submission.