



Cancel My Reservation                                        P. Robinson
Internet-Draft                                                2 May 2026
Intended status: Informational                                          
Expires: 3 November 2026


Why Is the IETF Trust Requiring “All Rights Reserved” When That Term Has
                  Been Superfluous for Over 25 Years?
                      draft-robinson-all-rights-00

Abstract

   This document discusses the continued appearance of the phrase “All
   Rights Reserved” in IETF Trust copyright notices, despite the phrase
   no longer being required for copyright protection in many
   jurisdictions.  It asks whether the phrase serves a present legal or
   operational purpose in IETF documents, or whether it should be
   removed or replaced.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 3 November 2026.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2026 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.





Robinson                 Expires 3 November 2026                [Page 1]

Internet-Draft             All Rights Reserved                  May 2026


Table of Contents

   1.  Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Why It Is No Longer Necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  List Of Buenos Aires Convention Parties And Berne Accession
           Date  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   6.  What Is Not Being Proposed  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   8.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   9.  Conclusion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   10. References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     10.1.  Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     10.2.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Executive Summary

   The phrase “All Rights Reserved” originated as a formal requirement
   under the 1910 Buenos Aires Convention, which conditioned copyright
   protection on an explicit reservation of rights.  However, this
   requirement became obsolete once all Buenos Aires Convention parties
   acceded to the Berne Convention, whose Article 5(2) prohibits
   conditioning copyright on formalities.

   As a result, the phrase no longer serves a necessary legal function
   in modern copyright regimes.  Its continued inclusion in IETF Trust
   copyright notices appears to be a historical artifact rather than a
   functional requirement.

   This document examines whether the phrase provides any present legal
   or operational value in IETF documents and considers whether its
   continued use should be reconsidered.

2.  Introduction

   The phrase “All Rights Reserved” was commonly used to satisfy Article
   3 of the 1910 Buenos Aires Convention (BAC), which required that a
   work contain a statement indicating reservation of rights in order to
   receive protection in other Convention states.  [BAC-TEXT] The phrase
   was therefore historically required in the inter-American copyright
   system, particularly before the United States and all Buenos Aires
   Convention parties were covered by broader formality-free copyright
   regimes.






Robinson                 Expires 3 November 2026                [Page 2]

Internet-Draft             All Rights Reserved                  May 2026


   That function became effectively obsolete no later than August 23,
   2000, when Nicaragua, apparently the last Buenos Aires Convention
   party not yet in Berne, became bound by the Berne Convention.  Berne
   Article 5(2) provides that the enjoyment and exercise of copyright
   “shall not be subject to any formality.” [BERNE-TEXT] The continued
   use of “All Rights Reserved” in IETF Trust notices appears to be a
   legacy artifact rather than a legally necessary reservation.

   Retaining obsolete legal language may create confusion about the
   scope of rights granted under IETF Trust terms and obscure the actual
   licensing framework.

3.  Problem Statement

   The phrase “All Rights Reserved” continues to appear in IETF Trust
   copyright notices despite no longer being required for copyright
   protection under applicable international treaties.  This raises the
   question of whether the phrase serves any current legal or
   operational purpose, or whether its continued use is unnecessary and
   potentially confusing.

4.  Why It Is No Longer Necessary

   By August 23, 2000, every state listed by the World Intellectual
   Property Organization (WIPO) as a contracting party or signatory of
   the Buenos Aires Convention had become party to the Berne Convention.
   [BAC-PARTIES] As a result, the Buenos Aires Convention notice formula
   no longer served any practical treaty function among those states,
   because Berne Article 5(2) prohibits conditioning the enjoyment or
   exercise of copyright on formalities.

5.  List Of Buenos Aires Convention Parties And Berne Accession Date

      +============+=============+======================+===========+
      | Country    | BAC Status  | Berne Accession Date | Effective |
      +============+=============+======================+===========+
      | Argentina  | Apr 19 1950 | Jun 10 1967          | 1967      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Bolivia    | May 15 1914 | Nov 4 1993           | 1993      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Brazil     | Aug 31 1915 | Feb 9 1922           | 1922      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Chile      | Jun 14 1955 | Jun 5 1970           | 1970      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Costa Rica | Nov 30 1916 | Jun 10 1978          | 1978      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Cuba *     |             | Feb 20 1997          | 1997      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+



Robinson                 Expires 3 November 2026                [Page 3]

Internet-Draft             All Rights Reserved                  May 2026


      | Dominican  | Oct 31 1912 | Dec 24 1997          | 1997      |
      | Republic   |             |                      |           |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Ecuador    | Apr 27 1914 | Oct 9 1991           | 1991      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | El         |             | Feb 19 1994          | 1994      |
      | Salvador * |             |                      |           |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Guatemala  | Mar 28 1913 | Jul 28 1997          | 1997      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Haiti      | Nov 27 1919 | Jan 11 1996          | 1996      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Honduras   | Apr 27 1914 | Jan 25 1990          | 1990      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Mexico     | Apr 24 1964 | Jun 11 1967          | 1967      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Nicaragua  | Dec 15 1913 | Aug 23 2000          | 2000      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Panama     | Nov 25 1913 | Jun 8 1996           | 1996      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Paraguay   | Sep 20 1917 | Jan 2 1992           | 1992      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Peru       | Apr 30 1920 | Aug 20 1988          | 1988      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | United     | Jul 13 1914 | Mar 1 1989           | 1989      |
      | States     |             |                      |           |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Uruguay    | May 11 1919 | Jul 10 1967          | 1967      |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+
      | Venezuela  |             | Dec 30 1982          | 1982      |
      | *          |             |                      |           |
      +------------+-------------+----------------------+-----------+

        Table 1: Buenos Aires Convention and Berne Convention Status

   * Signed only, no BAC in-force date shown by WIPO

6.  What Is Not Being Proposed

   This document does not necessarily recommend that the IETF eliminate
   copyright notices altogether.  A copyright notice can still serve
   useful evidentiary and administrative functions.  It identifies the
   claimed copyright owner, records the year of publication, and helps
   document the rights claimed by the IETF Trust and, where applicable,
   by individual authors.  In the United States, although copyright
   notice is no longer a condition of copyright protection for works
   published after the Berne Convention Implementation Act, a proper
   notice may still have consequences in infringement litigation.  In



Robinson                 Expires 3 November 2026                [Page 4]

Internet-Draft             All Rights Reserved                  May 2026


   particular, 17 U.S.C. § 401(d) limits a defendant’s ability to rely
   on innocent infringement to reduce statutory damages when the
   published work bears an appropriate copyright notice.  The issue
   addressed by this document is therefore not whether copyright notices
   have any continuing value, but whether the specific phrase “All
   Rights Reserved” continues to serve any useful legal or operational
   purpose in IETF documents.

7.  IANA Considerations

   Unless IANA mandates the term "All Rights Reserved" on documents it
   issues, this document has no IANA actions.

8.  Security Considerations

   This document does not raise any security issues.

9.  Conclusion

   The continued inclusion of “All Rights Reserved” appears unnecessary
   and may warrant reconsideration in light of current copyright law and
   IETF Trust practices.

10.  References

10.1.  Normative References

   [BAC-PARTIES]
              World Intellectual Property Organization, "Buenos Aires
              Convention: Contracting Parties/Signatories", n.d.,
              <https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/parties/398>.

10.2.  Informative References

   [BAC-TEXT] "The Buenos Aires Convention", n.d.,
              <https://web.archive.org/web/20061012213626/http://ipmall.info/hosted_resources/
              lipa/copyrights/
              The%20Buenos%20Aires%20Convention.pdf#search=%22Buenos%20Aires%20Convention%22>.

   [BERNE-TEXT]
              "Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and
              Artistic Works (as amended on September 28, 1979)
              (Authentic text)", n.d.,
              <https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text/283698>.

Author's Address





Robinson                 Expires 3 November 2026                [Page 5]

Internet-Draft             All Rights Reserved                  May 2026


   Paul Robinson
   United States of America
   Email: paul@paul-robinson.us
















































Robinson                 Expires 3 November 2026                [Page 6]
