RE: Dear Prudence: Do I have to pay for codes??

["Welsh, David" <David.Welsh@nordstrom.com>]

William, 
but my question was WHY do we have to carry on a practice of being charged
for codes or anything like that, when we haven't yet started to trade in
ebXML. Especially in this case where ebXML standard specifications are
themselves public domain.
 
Sounds like something doesn't 'fit' here if it's been identified SME's are
an ebXML audience, industry groups need to promote ebXML to SME's, yet
'someone' get's billed to use of all things .. 'codes' ! Your mail suggests
only certain software vendors might incur a bill for incorporating codes,
but I have to believe this cost does get passed onto the consumer; ie. the
SME.

So, before new ebXML communities start trading why should we already start
accepting charges for codes in ebXML (which I believe under the rules of
real UN/ EDIFACT says codes have to be free to use) or were you thinking new
Core Components would correct this by itself by stating that to be really
ebXML CC compliant, all codes must be free ?

Dave


> -----Original Message-----
> From: William J. Kammerer [mailto:wkammerer@foresightcorp.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 3:05 PM
> To: ebXML-core
> Subject: Dear Prudence: Do I have to pay for codes??
> 
> 
> Dave Welsh is "trying to understand if ebXML is based on freely
> available specifications and this is a global process where 
> CEFACT today
> promotes public domain - then why do we all have to keep accepting a
> practice of charging for codes ? That again seems to be yet an extra
> hurdle for the SME to jump over?"
> 
> I earlier gave an example of health care diagnosis codes, and in this
> case I was actually wrong - the ICD-9 Diagnosis code used 
> throughout the
> U.S. is free.  But there are some that have to be licensed, like the
> ADA's CDT Dental Procedural code.  Maybe this is a racket - but how do
> you expect to have software sold to Dental practices without using the
> standard procedure codes?   If you want the complete database of codes
> in your product for convenience to your customer (say, in a 
> pick list),
> then you may have licensing considerations.
> 
> Perhaps a more familiar example would be the SCAC (Standard Carrier
> Alpha Code) from the NMFTA.  If you include a complete 
> directory of the
> SCAC codes in your product, you might need a license (in 
> addition to the
> cost of the CD-Rom directory) from the NMFTA.  But only very 
> specialized
> transportation applications would need that - most EDI or ebXML users
> only need the SCAC codes of the few carriers they deal with - and you
> don't need a license to use or transmit those codes. And you 
> don't even
> have to buy a paper directory from the NMFTA - simply ask 
> your carriers
> what their SCACs are.
> 
> But all this has nothing in particular to do with ebXML, nor even with
> EDI - it's perfectly permissible to transmit instances of any code in
> messages without paying rent.
> 
> William J. Kammerer
> FORESIGHT Corp.
> 4950 Blazer Pkwy.
> Dublin, OH USA 43017-3305
> +1 614 791-1600
> 
> Visit FORESIGHT Corp. at http://www.foresightcorp.com/
> "accelerating time-to-trade"
> 
> 
> 
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