Good humor! Mark was changed to marking because the certification bodies of Europe pointed out that 'Mark' was a term commonly used when referring to third-parties via their certification marks. The term 'third parties,' in this case, is defined by an ISO document addressing conformity assessment definitions---I think IEC 50. This same document defines the term 'certification' and includes a note inidcating self-certification to be an oxymoron.
Since most of the world's certification bodies operate based on many of the guidelines and principles promulgated by the ISO, most would agree that using the term 'Mark' for something that is self-declaration based would create confusion at minimum. Indeed, we see this confusion daily as many people in our industry confuse voluntary and legal certification issues in the midst of their pursuit of market access. Certification is a product/service like many others. It has been possible to self-declare electrical products into Europe since 1975 under the Low Voltage Directive. Anyone who buys certification expects to gain some value from it or they would not do it. Many US manufacturers are confused by this since a NRLT Mark is required on equpiment in the US workplace. I suspect that if the US adopted a self-declaration based stance (not likely in my lifetime), many manufacturers would maintain existing certification where it made sense. Since Europeans who certify have no market access mandate to do so, there must be other motivations, hence the value (sense) in having it. Thus as Art pointed out, the term 'CE marking,'--precisely as you see it in the apostrophes--is the correct EU term used to refer to the custom's equivalent of a bar code. But Vic's idea seems more appealing somehow. Gene Panger TUV Product Service ------------- Original Text From: [email protected], on 4-07-97 10:30 AM: To: <[email protected]> Cc: <[email protected]> Jim Collum@3COM 04/07/97 09:30 AM >My informants have it that the terminology was changed because some fundamentalist groups >felt the "Mark" was associated with the"Mark of the Devil" and therefore inapprpriate. >Wonder if there's something of a lesson in that ? Change your informants? Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules. Jim
