What are Open Standards? Implications for Adoption, Competition and Policy

Abstract

Abstract “Open” product compatibility standards are prized as an ideal by many buyers andpolicymakers. The belief is that such standards lead to superior outcomes for societalwelfare, while preventing the worst abuses of proprietary lock-in.The reality is that all “open” standards are not created equal, in that some are moreopen than others. It is possible to discern several dimensions of openness, and different levelsfor each dimensions. Also, different participants in the value chain — customers,complementers and competitors — will value different aspects of openness.This paper suggests measures for assessing the openness of a standard, and possiblepolicy applications of these measures. Contents Abstract 2Contents 2Introduction 3Defining Open Standards 4Standards, Specifications and Implementations 5Open Standards 6Open Standards and their Consequences 7Metrics for Open Standards 8Open to Whom? 8Why is it Open? 11What Rights are Provided? 16Is it Really Open? 21Discussion 23Policy Implications 23Conclusions 27Figures and Tables 28References 29

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