RAND Patents: A great thing <= So VERY wrong and misguided

> Instead, the W3C should uphold, protect and encourage patents 
> as they create and support true innovation by providing
> tremendous positive economic incentives.
 
A [F/f]ree, open, standards-based web should be one of the GROUND-RULES
by which businesses compete.  If a business cannot compete without
compromising this principle, we don't want its "innovations", much less
as part of the standard.

Furthermore, one can consider significant elements of the Internet in
the civic realm, not the business realm.  Just as it should be possible
for citizens to assemble physically freely and openly and without
charge, they should be able to do so electronically as well.  Any
"standard" that requires royalty payments to implement or use
compromises their ability to do so.

I'm sure there are "tremendous economic incentives" to controlling  key
Internet standards, and having a headlock on anyone who uses them by way
of royalty fees and licensing terms.  Frankly, I don't want incentives
like that to EVER see the light of day.

Received on Monday, 1 October 2001 07:29:52 UTC