FWIW, here is the response from Herbert van de Sompel (LANL) regarding IP encumbrances on MPEG-21 specifications. Nothing definitive, but I didn't think that he would/could be. The paper looks interesting, though. Best, David Dear David, Thanks for your interest in our work. The recent paper at gives a rather detailed insight of our work with MPEG-21 specs. (A) This is what I posted to the DSpace list, recently, re IP issues on MPEG-21 DID, which one could consider the industry equivalent of METS: (He quotes http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=10818549) The other MPEG-21 specs we use are Digital Item Identification (DII), and the Digital Item Processing (DIP). We currently have no insights in IP issues re DIP, and are pretty sure nothing is going in re DII. (B) We are actively involved in the standardization effort, having made significant contributions to DID, DII and DIP. We will remain involved until these 3 specs are fully standardized, and they meet our needs. We have access to all versions of the specs through our involvement in the standardization effort. That also gives us access to reference software. (C) The funny thing with things DSpace is that whatever one contributes becomes HP copyright. Quite a problem in the community, I think. Anyhow, here is what is included in the software: * * Copyright (c) 2002, Hewlett-Packard Company and Massachusetts * Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. * * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are * met: * * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. * * - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the * documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. * * - Neither the name of the Hewlett-Packard Company nor the name of the * Massachusetts Institute of Technology nor the names of their * contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from * this software without specific prior written permission. * * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS * ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT * LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR * A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT * HOLDERS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, * INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, * BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS * OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND * ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR * TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE * USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH * DAMAGE. */ herbert