RFC 2026 - The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3

Published: October 1996
Status: Best Current Practice (BCP: 9)
Author: S. Bradner (Harvard University)
Obsoletes: RFC 1602

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Status of this Memo

This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

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Abstract

This memo documents the process used by the Internet community for the standardization of protocols and procedures. It defines the stages in the standardization process, the requirements for moving a document between stages and the types of documents used during this process. It also addresses the intellectual property rights and copyright issues associated with the standards process.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 Internet Standards
  • 1.2 The Internet Standards Process
  • 1.3 Organization of This Document
• 2. Internet Standards-Related Publications
  • 2.1 Requests for Comments (RFCs)
  • 2.2 Internet-Drafts
• 3. Internet Standard Specifications
  • 3.1 Technical Specification (TS)
  • 3.2 Applicability Statement (AS)
  • 3.3 Requirement Levels
• 4. The Internet Standards Track
  • 4.1 Standards Track Maturity Levels
    • 4.1.1 Proposed Standard
    • 4.1.2 Draft Standard
    • 4.1.3 Internet Standard
  • 4.2 Non-Standards Track Maturity Levels
    • 4.2.1 Experimental
    • 4.2.2 Informational
    • 4.2.3 Procedures for Experimental and Informational RFCs
    • 4.2.4 Historic
• 5. Best Current Practice (BCP) RFCs
  • 5.1 BCP Review Process
• 6. The Internet Standards Process
  • 6.1 Standards Actions
    • 6.1.1 Initiation of Action
    • 6.1.2 IESG Review and Approval
    • 6.1.3 Publication
  • 6.2 Advancing in the Standards Track
  • 6.3 Revising a Standard
  • 6.4 Retiring a Standard
  • 6.5 Conflict Resolution and Appeals
    • 6.5.1 Working Group Disputes
    • 6.5.2 Process Failures
    • 6.5.3 Questions of Applicable Procedure
    • 6.5.4 Appeals Procedure
• 7. External Standards and Specifications
  • 7.1 Use of External Specifications
    • 7.1.1 Incorporation of an Open Standard
    • 7.1.2 Incorporation of Other Specifications
    • 7.1.3 Assumption
• 8. Notices and Record Keeping
• 9. Varying the Process
  • 9.1 The Variance Procedure
  • 9.2 Exclusions
• 10. Intellectual Property Rights
  • 10.1 General Policy
  • 10.2 Confidentiality Obligations
  • 10.3 Rights and Permissions
    • 10.3.1 All Contributions
    • 10.3.2 Standards Track Documents
    • 10.3.3 Determination of Reasonable and Non-discriminatory Terms
  • 10.4 Notices
• 11. Acknowledgments
• 12. Security Considerations
• 13. References
• 14. Definitions of Terms
• 15. Author's Address

Appendices

• Appendix A: Glossary of Acronyms

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Related Resources

• Official Text: RFC 2026
• Official Page: RFC 2026 DataTracker
• Errata: RFC Editor Errata

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