The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 2
RFC 1602

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Network Working Group                    Internet Architecture Board and
Request for Comments: 1602           Internet Engineering Steering Group
Obsoletes: 1310                                               March 1994
Category: Informational

              The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 2

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

Notice

   This informational memo presents the current procedures for creating
   and documenting Internet Standards.  This document is provisional,
   pending legal review and concurrence of the Internet Society
   Trustees.  It is being published in this form to keep the Internet
   Community informed as to the current status of policies and
   procedures for Internet Standards work.

Abstract

   This document is a revision of RFC 1310, which defined the official
   procedures for creating and documenting Internet Standards.

   This revision (revision 2) includes the following major changes:

   (a)  The new management structure arising from the POISED Working
        Group is reflected.  These changes were agreed to by the IETF
        plenary and by the IAB and IESG in November 1992 and accepted by
        the ISOC Board of Trustees at their December 1992 meeting.

   (b)  Prototype status is added to the non-standards track maturity
        levels (Section 2.4.1).

   (c)  The Intellectual Property Rights section is completely revised,
        in accordance with legal advice.  Section 5 of this document
        replaces Sections 5 and 6 of RFC-1310.  The new section 5 has
        been reviewed by legal counsel to the Internet Society.

IAB - IESG                                                      [Page 1]
RFC 1602               Internet Standards Process             March 1994

   (d)  An appeals procedure is added (Section 3.6).

   (e)  The wording of sections 1 and 1.2 has been changed to clarify
        the relationships that exist between the Internet Society and
        the IAB, the IESG, the IETF, and the Internet Standards process.

   (f)  An Appendix B has been added, listing the contact points for the
        RFC editor, the IANA, the IESG, the IAB and the ISOC. The
        "future issues" are now listed in Appendix C.

IAB - IESG                                                      [Page 2]
RFC 1602               Internet Standards Process             March 1994

TABLE OF CONTENTS

   1.  INTRODUCTION .................................................  3
      1.1  Internet Standards. ......................................  4
      1.2  Organizations ............................................  6
      1.3  Standards-Related Publications ...........................  8
      1.4  Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) ................ 10
   2.  NOMENCLATURE ................................................. 11
      2.1  The Internet Standards Track ............................. 11
      2.2  Types of Specifications .................................. 12
      2.3  Standards Track Maturity Levels .......................... 13
      2.4  Non-Standards Track Maturity Levels ...................... 15
      2.5  Requirement Levels ....................................... 17
   3.  THE INTERNET STANDARDS PROCESS ............................... 19
      3.1  Review and Approval ...................................... 19
      3.2  Entering the Standards Track ............................. 20
      3.3  Advancing in the Standards Track ......................... 21
      3.4  Revising a Standard ...................................... 22
      3.5  Retiring a Standard ...................................... 22
      3.6  Conflict Resolution and Appeals .......................... 23
   4.  EXTERNAL STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS ........................ 24
   5.  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ................................. 26
      5.1.  General Policy .......................................... 26
      5.2.  Definitions ............................................. 26
      5.3  Trade Secret Rights ...................................... 27
      5.4.  Rights and Permissions .................................. 27
      5.5.  Notices ................................................. 30
      5.6.  Assurances .............................................. 31
   6.  REFERENCES ................................................... 34
   APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ................................. 35
   APPENDIX B: CONTACT POINTS ....................................... 35
   APPENDIX C: FUTURE ISSUES ........................................ 36
   Security Considerations .......................................... 37
   Authors' Addresses ............................................... 37

1.  INTRODUCTION

   This memo documents the process currently used by the Internet