MMA IP Policy (Short Form)
The following summarizes the MMA's rules regarding INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS in MIDI and other MMA Specifications.
1. MIDI and other specifications developed by MMA ("Specifications") are intended to be royalty and license free, to encourage interoperability and adoption.
2. All enhancements and extensions to Specifications (except those for non-commercial use) must be approved by MMA (and by AMEI, our standardization partner in Japan).
3. Contributors to Specification development implicitly warrant and represent to the MMA and its members and other participants that the Contributor has the right to contribute, and is contributing without cost or obligation, any intellectual or other property contributed or disclosed.
4. IP owners shall notify the MMA of any actual or potential infringement upon the owner's intellectual property rights that may arise. Failure to notify the MMA of such infringement constitutes a waiver of the owner's infringement claim against the MMA regarding the use of such intellectual property rights in the development of the Specification or in the Specification itself, against MMA members who participate in the development of the Specification for their participation in the development of the Specification, and against MMA members and non-members alike who use the Specification; and, it creates a license in the MMA and others to use such intellectual property rights, without royalty or other payment to the member, in the development, adoption, distribution, commercial exploitation and marketing of the Specification for the purposes for which the specification is developed.
5. IP Owners retain the right to use their property in any activity or manner that is unrelated to the Specification.
6. No MMA Member shall be obligated to maintain against another MMA Member or the MMA itself the secrecy or confidentiality of any information disclosed or revealed in the course of any MMA activity. Members are obligated to maintain the secrecy and confidentiality of such information against non-members.