Most joint or multilateral standards start when acquaintances in a particular business, but working for different companies, meet one another, perhaps by design, perhaps by accident -- say, in a cocktail bar at some convention -- and start to discuss a mutual problem or issue. Usually all are at least vaguely acquainted with the research that each other's company is up to. Someone suggests that it might be a good thing if a standard were to be agreed for some device. Maybe some general ideas are sketched out on the back of a napkin. Then everyone goes home, and talks with management. Some e-mail flits about, the idea comes to be taken more seriously, and someone in management decides that pursuing a standard would be a good thing. This is when the legal problems start.