The Decision Model (TDM) Patent Policy

December 22, 2011

Statement by KPI and the Patent Holders in connection with U.S. Patent # 8,073,801

Objectives of the Patent Policy

  • To share the ideas behind The Decision Model in an orderly way,
  • To protect its rigor, hence its reputation, and
  • To ensure that we are able to evolve what we started without risking an infringement of someone else's patent.

Policy Statements

  • Individuals, practitioners, and company/organization employees who wish to use TDM in practice are free to do so. This is aimed at practitioners selling TDM services and employees practicing TDM within their organizations, as well as organizations adopting TDM in projects. This is a public commitment, and we will post the terms of the end-user license, on the website. We have a program of Decision Model Analyst certification, for which all decision modelers are eligible, details of which may be found -> here. End users are also free to incorporate TDM in any software that they use.
  • Those who wish to sell software incorporating TDM, may choose among the following required licenses:
    • Vendors who wish to include only TDM notation without TDM principles can obtain a royalty-free license (e.g., MS/Visio stencils, MS/Excel templates, modeling tools etc.).
    • Vendors who wish to incorporate the TDM with all the covered methods and theory (e.g. 15 Principles) must obtain a license with fair royalties, which includes software certification as part of the license. This license includes other advances and methods in addition to those included in the book and the patent.
    • Vendors who provide Open Source Software, and who wish to incorporate TDM can obtain a royalty-free license for Open Source software. There will be a certification fee and process for Open Source vendors who desire this optional software certification.
  • All are encouraged to contact us for details. Please click ->  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Link to United States Patent: 8,073,801. Please click -> here