Strong SDOs supported by IP create better technology research and innovation.

Nicos Tsilas, “The Threat to Innovation, Interoperability, and Government Procurement Options From Recently Proposed Definitions of “Open Standards”,” International Journal of Communications Law & Policy, https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/ijclp/ijclp_10/ijclp_10h.pdf

Intellectual property laws encourage investment in innovative research and development by rewarding creators with certain proprietary rights.31 Patents give inventors the right to earn a return on their investment by exploiting their innovations on an exclusive basis. Patent holders also can decide to license their innovations to third parties. Patent licensing promotes competition and consumer interests in several ways. Notably, licensing gives both inventors and users of new technologies strong incentives to work together to maximize the efficient use of their respective resources. Licensing also promotes the broad dissemination of technology innovations, which benefits consumers in the form of new, competing products, and lower prices. Additionally, licensing may provide innovative firms with funds to reinvest in research and development, leading to further advances in technology.

Standards organizations like ETSI, ITU, ISO, IEC, IETF, OMA, ECMA, and ANSI have long recognized the need for policies governing the inclusion of patented technologies in standards when such inclusion optimizes the technical solution to a standardization challenge. Their fundamental objective is to balance the rights of patent owners with the needs of implementers who wish to create products that incorporate the standard. This healthy, cooperative relationship between innovators that contribute to a standard and implementers that make use of the standard engenders technical advancement and spurs industry uptake of the technology, thereby enhancing interoperability.