When Member A, which participates in a Working Group, is acquired by Member B and Member A ceases to exist as an independent entity, what is the impact on licensing commitments?
The Patent Policy commitment of Member A is given for the lifetime of the patent as described in section 3 and section 5 of the Patent Policy. Consequently, Member B inherits Member A’s Royalty-Free licensing commitments. Member B is not considered a Working Group Participant by virtue of its acquisition of Member A. Thus, unless Member B joins the Working Group (or is already participating), it does not have any additional licensing obligations as of the termination of Member A’s contract with W3C. If Member B joins the Working Group, other sections of the Patent Policy govern new licensing commitments and exclusion opportunities.
Related Questions
- If an entity is acquired by, or merges with, a NASDAQ-listed company, may a former officer of the acquired entity be eligible to qualify as an independent director of the combined entity?
- When Member A, which participates in a Working Group, is acquired by Member B and Member A ceases to exist as an independent entity, what is the impact on licensing commitments?
- When do working group participants need to request copyright permission from another entity?
