JEDEC isn't a memory technology monopoly or anything, they're just a standards organization. You have a situation where lots of companies need to make products

JEDEC isn't a memory technology monopoly or anything, they're just a standards organization. You have a situation where lots of companies need to make products that interoperate, but interoperation is complicated in electrical engineering. There are a *lot* of ways to get a memory interconnect wrong. So the solution is to pick (or create) a separate, notionally independent body staffed and supported by representatives of all the relevant stakeholders, and have them write "standards" that everyone agrees to adhere to. The body doesn't invent the technology, that happens at the individual chip companies. They then present their proposals to JEDEC[1] and everyone argues and agrees on what will go into GDDR19 or whatnot. And JEDEC then publishes the standards for all to see. [1] Or whoever, JEDEC does DRAM, but there's a USB Consortium, Bluetooth SIG, WiFi is under IEEE, etc...