Board-Meeting-2026-06-18
| Board Meeting | |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, 2026-06-18 |
| Time | 16:00-16:30 UTC |
| Place | XSF chatroom |
| Transcript | chat log |
| Term | 2025-2026 Term Summary |
| Navigation | |
| Previous | Board-Meeting-2026-06-04 |
| Next | Board-Meeting-2026-07-02 |
Agenda
1. Welcome
- Opening of the meeting.
2. Formalize Agenda
- Confirm and approve the agenda for this meeting.
3. Jabber Trademark Sublicensing Program
- The XSF administers JABBER sublicensing on Cisco's behalf (Cisco owns the mark). The program is near-dormant (most uses date to 2004-2006). Decision sought: direction on whether to continue it or wind it down in a controlled way (notify Cisco; new applicants would then license directly). Note this can be decided independently of the EU-relocation question.
- Key points
- 1. Is there any current demand?
- 2. Existing license-holders' status if it lapses - needs legal confirmation.
- 3. Reversibility - re-establishing with Cisco later may be hard.
- 4. Option to simply ask Cisco whether they want to keep the arrangement.
- Direction sought, not a binding decision - several points require legal advice.
- Mailing list messages: https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/message/AOSPQYJACOYXSSZLATLZRZXY63R2PDGN/ https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/message/XR4MEQMIYKQ4AY3PPBSC35QJIZFJ7VMC/ https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/message/MIOABW77NCE6TJEWQR5AJYB7GTWXKSNK/
4. Any Other Business (AOB)
- Items not listed above that require brief attention.
5. Date of next meeting
- Agreement on the date of the next Board meeting.
6. Close
- Closing of the meeting.
Minutes
1. Welcome
The meeting was opened and chaired by Ralph Meijer.
Attendees
- Ralph Meijer (Chair)
- Guus der Kinderen
- Mickaël Rémond
- Florian Schmaus
- Arne-Brün Vogelsang
Quorum was confirmed. Jonas Schäfer, msavoritias, Ge0rG, stratself, and Kev were present from the peanut gallery.
2. Formalization of Agenda
The agenda as published on the wiki was approved. Jonas Schäfer and msavoritias each requested to raise a point related to agendum 3. No other items were added.
3. Jabber Trademark Sublicensing Program
The Board discussed the future of the JABBER sublicensing program, which the XSF administers on Cisco's behalf. Ralph was unsure of current demand, noting that community use of the term had declined and the program had largely fizzled out, and that nobody currently at Cisco is likely aware of it. He clarified that he considers the program and its existing agreements to remain valid; stopping the program would mean issuing no new licenses rather than revoking existing ones, which are effectively perpetual while licensees abide by the terms. Kev confirmed that the Cisco-to-XSF grant is what lets approved projects use the term without registering directly with Cisco.
Jonas raised an administrative point: applications cannot currently be filed because the trademark@ address is bouncing mail, and the Board should not take a final decision while filing is impossible. Mickaël noted the program now feels largely legacy and suggested that, if wound down, a good-faith letter to existing licensees would be appropriate.
On a possible transfer to a new EU entity, Guus and Mickaël cautioned that involving Cisco risks a costly, lawyer-driven process, and Ralph and flow agreed the agreements likely cannot be transferred unilaterally. Flow argued the trademark situation is not a blocker to forming a new entity, while Ge0rG noted it could impede winding down the old one.
Guus emphasised the matter should be decoupled from the EU relocation, and that stopping the program would not automatically require existing users to rename (though unconfirmed). msavoritias and stratself raised concerns about wider community use of the term and the value of a name for XMPP's messaging aspect.
Outcome:
No decision was taken. The Board agreed to continue the discussion on the members mailing list so the broader membership can contribute. The bouncing trademark@ address should be addressed, and several points (the status of existing licensees if the program lapses, reversibility, and any transfer to a successor entity) require legal confirmation.
4. Any Other Business (AOB)
No other business was raised.
5. Date of Next Meeting
The next Board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, 2 July 2026, at the usual time.
6. Close
The meeting was closed by the Chair.
All attendees were thanked for their participation.