Editing Open standard (section)

==== South African Government definition ====
The [[South African Government]] approved a definition in the "Minimum Interoperability Operating Standards Handbook" (MIOS).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpsa.gov.za/documents/egov/MIOSVer4_1_2007.pdf|title=Government of South Africa, MIOS Version 4.1 2007|website=dpsa.gov.za|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref>

For the purposes of the MIOS, a standard shall be considered open if it meets all of these criteria. There are standards which we are obliged to adopt for pragmatic reasons which do not necessarily fully conform to being open in all respects. In such cases, where an open standard does not yet exist, the degree of openness will be taken into account when selecting an appropriate standard:

#it should be maintained by a non-commercial organization
#participation in the ongoing development work is based on decision-making processes that are open to all interested parties.
#open access: all may access committee documents, drafts and completed standards free of cost or for a negligible fee.
#It must be possible for everyone to copy, distribute and use the standard free of cost.
#The intellectual rights required to implement the standard (e.g.essential patent claims) are irrevocably available, without any royalties attached.
#There are no reservations regarding reuse of the standard.
#There are multiple implementations of the standard.