Summary of 17 October 2003 HTML PAG teleconference

Hello,

Seventeen people attended the 17 October 2003 HTML Patent Advisory
Group (PAG) [1] teleconference. W3C circulated a draft letter from W3C
Director Tim Berners-Lee to PTO Director James Rogan and a 301 prior
art filing for approval. The Chair summarized the letter and strategy.

The tradeoff for filing a letter from the Director quickly is
endorsement by a wider spectrum of the Membership. It was felt that
time is of the essence and that a filing within the next week was most
advisable. Participants noted that an early filing by W3C could likely
set the right tone for the decision at the PTO. The Director is
empowered to speak for W3C, and the HTML PAG is empowered to advise
him.

There was a brief discussion of precedents and antitrust, neither of
which seemed to pose problems. A correction was noted about W3C's
patent policy being enacted but not yet in effect. The group discussed
whether this filing will be more successful than when, in the court
decision, prior art came before the court but not the jury. The Chair
and a participant discussed the way the letter addresses disruption to
the Web, and agreed that the focus needs to be on the invalidity of the
patent and that disruption to the Web should be presented as secondary.

After the discussion, the Chair asked the PAG to endorse the proposal
and received no objections. Changes will be accepted until 21 October,
with the filing to follow immediately.

[1] http://www.w3.org/2003/09/pag.html

Best wishes,
-- 
Susan Lesch           http://www.w3.org/People/Lesch/
mailto:lesch@w3.org               tel:+1.858.483.4819
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)    http://www.w3.org/

Received on Friday, 31 October 2003 17:35:21 UTC