I have not seen any restrictions on the downloading or using of the GRACoL data or specification.

So the “We need open print standards that can be implemented by anyone, without royalties or other restrictions” doesn’t hold water. i mean, it makes sense and I agree, but it doesn’t apply in this case.

If you want to get involved with the standard and actually work in the working groups, go to the meetings, make your equipment available for testing, VOTE and control the spec. etc THEN it makes sense to join. (that kind of committment is also going to cost a lot more than the membership fees)

It also make sense to restrict the people who belong to the actual contributor / controller group so there aren’t a bunch of tire-kickers who simply slow the process down. $2500 is a fair amount of money but not too unreasonable for those who actually are players and want to help shape the industry.

From their website “IDEAlliance is a not-for-profit membership organization”

In response to “I think a lot of these old-style industry organizations are going to get clobbered to death as they lose their stranglehold on information.” – I think it is important to realize that the IDEALliance does not have a stangle-hold on the information and, in fact, their value to the industry is the shepherding of standards. They need dues to operate and so charging fees required to operate seems fair to me. This is a printing specification for businesses to operate and control. We are not talking about the average consumer here. Also IDEALliance is not only responsible for GRACoL they also have SWOP and a number of other things under their umbrella so buying a member ship gives you access to a number of different works-in-progress.

This in NO WAY means that the results of the work are not available, FREE for anyone who wants to download and implement them. The G7 training guide is up there, free, the press run data is up there, free.

Dale

See VIII. Differentiation of the .org TLD at http://www.icann.org/tlds/org/applications/organic/viii.html

If you read the IDEAlliance Bylaws you will see that the association is a Virginia Nonstock Corporation.

The Association is organized and shall be operated for such purposes permitted by the Articles of Incorporation and the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act which are consistent with section 501(c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as the “Code”).

IDEALLiance Bylaws: http://www.idealliance.org/about/bylaws&policies.asp

You are correct the strangle hold will have to change.

We need open print standards that can be implemented by anyone, without royalties or other restrictions. This will allow anyone to obtain and implement the standard. It will increase compatibility between processes.

We need to make new standards available to anyone with the necessary technical know-how and resources. They should be permitted to duplicate the process and change and publish new findings at their own will.

And most of all the intellectual property rights to the standard should be controlled by a not-for-profit organization, which operates a free access policy.

There should be no constraints on the re-use or modification of the standard.

I think we easily forget that these organizations are also businesses. I did not due a thorough digging, but there didn’t seem to be any claim of not-for-profit status on the Idealliance site.

As the print industry is restaffed by younger folks who understand the internet, I think a lot of these old-style industry organizations are going to get clobbered to death as they lose their stranglehold on information.

So, the good news is that dues will likely be dropping

You could have joined the Print Across Borders mailing list and voiced any concerns you have with the G7 process or GRACoL. You would not of had official capacity to steer the direction of the GRACoL specification, you could have pointed out the pros and cons of the new method or pointed out any inadequacies. There has been lively discussions on the development of the new GRACoL methodology in which Don Hutcheson was actively involved on the list.

David McDowell is currently (it may have been released already) drafting a Technical Report: CGATS SC4 N 766 that analyzes the new GRACoL method. This report should get the discussion going within CGATS and ISO TC130.