What is a Contribution?
The Contributions mechanism is intended for the input of content in some form (a completed document, model or piece of code) which will be of benefit to the member community. Examples of Contributions include:
- Where a member company or individual wishes to make available material which will be of benefit to the member community and can serve as the basis for future core Frameworx deliverables.
- An Initial Draft or Interim Package produced by and for review within a TM Forum working project for integration into a final document deliverable.
- An Initial Draft or Interim Package produced by a TM Forum working project to facilitate communication and information sharing with another TM Forum working project.
When you submit your contribution, you will be asked if there is any IPR to declare with the submission and the IPR mode of the submission. If this contribution is for a specific project, the IPR mode of the contribution should align with the IPR mode of that project. For a brief explanation of IPR modes, please see below.
If there are any Patents or Patents Pending associated with your submission, you should definitely select "Yes". If you’re not sure, please select "Yes" and a TM Forum staff member will contact you to clarify. To learn more about the TM Forum IPR Policy or the TM Forum Bylaws, click on the appropriate link.
In addition, prior to and immediately following a TM Forum Action Week (TAW) event, the ability to submit a contribution for use at TM Forum Action Week will be provided. A TM Forum Action Week contribution can be identified by selecting the “TAW Contribution” option in the drop down selection list. If the “TAW Contribution” does not appear, contributions are not being accepted for TM Forum Action Week at that time, and the regular “Contribution” option should be used.
Note: The Contributions tab is not designed for (this list is not exhaustive):
- Fixes or changes to an existing document or suggestions for new features and functionality. Please use the Change Request mechanism.
- Those items which are more suitable for a discussion forum or wiki post, examples of which are questions, a request for clarification or to outline a development process.
Note: Contributions will be made available in the Downloads area after a short review to ensure submitted material is appropriate.
TM Forum IPR Modes
RAND: Patent holding contributors can charge for license patents on Reasonable and Non- Discriminatory terms.
RAND RF: Patent holding contributors provide IPR on royalty-free basis but can set other conditions on Reasonable and Non- Discriminatory basis.
TM Forum Click-thru (FCTL): Patent holding contributors provide IPR on royalty free basis with pre-defined conditions.
For additional information please visit the TM Forum IPR Policy web page.
What is Project Contribution?
Project Contributions are formal contributions to a Project team by a project participant. The individual making the project contribution must be a member of the associated project. In addition, the IP mode of the project contribution must match the IP mode of the project.
The project contribution may be used by that project team only. The team may use the contribution as is or develop derivatives of the contribution.
If a contribution has Intellectual Property declarations associated with a contribution, this is clearly visible by reviewers and consumers of the contribution.
How do I submit a Project Contribution?
Remember, to submit a project contribution, you must be a member of that project team and the IP mode of the project contribution must match the IP mode of the project.
Go to the project space for the project that you'd like to make the project contribution to. On the contributions page of the project, click on the Submit button.
Then, complete the displayed form and attach the project contribution using the Attachment field.
Please use the Attachment field to upload your TM Forum Contribution and any IPR documents.
As this is a project contribution to a project that you have already have received IP approval to participate in, the contribution is NOT routed to your IP contact and is available to the project team immediately.
The contribution can then be found on the contributions page.
What is a TM Forum Contribution?
TM Forum Contributions are contributions to the TM Forum, not to a single specific project. Any TM Forum member can submit a TM Forum contribution.
How do I submit a TM Forum contribution?
TM Forum contribution are submitted on the Forum Contribution page. Click on the submit button and a form will be displayed. On this form, the IPR mode of the contribution needs to be selected. If a you wish to declare Intellectual Property Rights on a contribution, you will be able to do so within the submission form. Then all subsequent reviewers or consumers of the contribution will view this declaration prior to reviewing the contribution. The submitted contribution will be routed to your company's IPR contact for approval. Once the contribution is approved, it will be made available for all TM Forum members to view.
How can my project use a TM Forum Contribution?
You will be able to view all TM Forum Contributions on the appropriate page (to be added).
You may use any TM Forum Contribution where the IPR mode of the contribution matches the IPR mode of your project.
In order to ensure full traceability of contributions, where a project team wishes to use a TM Forum contribution this should be resubmitted to the project team that wishes to use it by a project participant.
(should review this final step to find a more convenience way of achieving the same result of full transparency on where a contribution has been used).