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Industry Initiatives and Trade Organizations
Building Industry Consensus
When industry leaders want to jointly develop and adopt industry standardized technical specifications or influence other groups who would adopt these specifications, they are faced with a number of legal and business issues needing fast and practical resolution. They must determine the form of relationship between the organizers, and later, the form of entity.
If they elect to form a nonprofit entity, they must determine whether to seek state and federal tax-exempt status. They may determine the need for an antitrust advisory opinion ("railroad release") from the Department of Justice. They need to determine the rights and obligations of those who join their initiative. Perhaps most importantly, they must develop a policy for the contribution and licensing of intellectual property.
For fast and practical solutions, industry leaders turn to Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt's Trade Organization and Industry Initiative Team. Our attorneys take the time to learn and understand the drive behind the industry initiative and the underlying technology.
Schwabe attorneys have acted as general counsel for some of the high technology industry's biggest and most widely accepted trade organizations, including:
• AVnu Alliance
• Climate Savers Computing Initiative
• Collaborative Health Consortium
• Communications Platform Trade Association
• Continua Health Alliance
• Digital Living Network Alliance (Formerly know as the Digital Home Working Group)
• Digital Watermarking Alliance
• Dossia Consortium
• EMerge Alliance
• Entertainment ID Registry
• GENIVI Alliance
• The Green Grid Association
• HDBaseT Alliance
• HMDI Forum
• High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance
• HomeGrid Forum
• Itanium Solutions Alliance
• Media Center Integrator Alliance
• Mobile Advisory Council
• Mobile PC Extended Battery Life Working Group
• PC Gaming Alliance
• PCI-SIG
• Power Matters Alliance, Inc• OCP-IP
• ONAMI
• Open Data Center Alliance
• Open Networking Foundation
• The Road to 100g Alliance
• RVU Alliance
• Serial ATA International Organization
• Service Availability Forum
• UHAPI Forum
• UPnP Forum
We believe that practical solutions and consensus building are the cornerstone of success in this field. Our attorneys work closely with the legal teams from promoting companies to charter industry groups, and later to help the groups maintain their governance. We shepherd the groups through specification adoption and publication, revision, marketing and intellectual property licensing.
Additionally, Schwabe attorneys have been retained as special counsel to major industry leaders and Fortune 500 companies as they evaluate and join trade organizations, contractual industry initiatives and collaborative research projects with major educational and research institutions. Among these initiatives are:
• DIG 64
• Digital Display Working Group
• PICMG
• Open Source Development Lab, Inc.
• The Rainier Group
• Trusted Computing Platform Alliance or "TCPA"
• Trusted Computing Group
• Unified Display Interface
• USB-IF Inc.
Schwabe has developed and maintained experience in the areas of service that are most relevant to the needs of trade organizations and companies who seek to join in industry initiatives. Among these areas of service are:
• Entity selection and formation
• Tax
• Intellectual property prosecution, protection, transfer and licensing
• Antitrust
• Commercial contracting
• Government regulation and contracting
• Intellectual property and commercial litigation
Resources for Trade Organizations and Consortia
Kavi Corporation - Kavi offers a comprehensive enterprise software solution that facilitates standard-setting processes and supports efficient operations with the collaboration and membership management applications, secure infrastructure, and support needed to operate and manage today's geographically diverse standard-setting organizations (SSOs) and standard developing organizations (SDOs).
VTM, Inc. - VTM provides professional business services for managed initiatives, organizations, and alliances. VTM's services include everything from basic membership, operations, and financial management services to Executive Director support, public relations, strategic marketing program development/implementation, and compliance and interoperability program strategy/development/management. VTM's high-quality professionals are easy to do business with and will customize support and services to meet your unique needs.