Standards contain the combined knowledge of all partners participating in the market and are developed in a fair development process moderated by DIN.
By purchasing standards, standards users also ensure DIN, as a non-profit association, can continue to organize its standards work on a private basis. Around 75 percent of DIN's work is financed through the sale of standards and membership fees. The costs for the development are thus distributed to the users who benefit from standards through their application.
Withdrawn standards may in principle continue to be applied if this is agreed between contracting parties and not prohibited by law. Thus, withdrawn standards also have an information value, which is why publishers of technical rules refrain from giving out these standards free of charge.