VITA standards

Thanks to Bill Heinze for details of ex ante approval given by the US Department of Justice to a new standard setting process. The details provided sound reasonably normal - search and disclosure in respect of essential patents (although as we know from the US Nokia litigation, there is scope for debate about what that might mean...). The DoJ has noted that the standard setting process is an attempt to promote competition and increase the prospects of the standard operating successfully without it being held to ransom in the future.

All very sensible - IP and competition working well together towards a broad objective. Just hope the standard setting process works as planned and disclosures are forthcoming.