Ideally, this page would be intentionally left blank. However, in the real world the IETF is potentially exposed to the workings of the law (usually US law simply due to the nature of our industry).
IASA has the basic responsibility for dealing with legal issues, typically subpoenas in connection with intellectual property suits. But there is always the threat of law suits directed against the IETF itself, or a subset such as the IESG, and of less serious legal issues such as legal letters about document copyrights.
Any incoming legal documents of any kind should be urgently referred to the IETF counsel. You should probably also contact your own employer's counsel. For the specific case of subpoenas, we have a documented process.
The IESG (and the IAB, IAOC, WG Chairs, and a few others) are covered by ISOC's Directors and Officers liability insurance policy. IESG members may also be covered by their employer's liability insurance. But this doesn't give immunity or impunity; civil and criminal laws do apply in cyberspace.
Once in a while, the IESG may feel that something it is about to decide may have legal implications. Rather than becoming amateur lawyers, in such a case the IESG should ask the IETF counsel for advice. Occasionally it is even appropriate for IETF counsel to participate in working group activities when they specifically deal with the law (such as the IPR working group).
The content of this page was last updated on 2013-02-03. It was migrated from the old Trac wiki on 2023-02-17.