Patent Policies

I have several points and observations to share.

The internet's growth and evolution was made possible due to standards being
publically defined and debated, and then being freely implementable by any
able participant.  There was no prior art concerns since people developed
this stuff as it was debated.  Implementing anyone's prior art should be
fastidiously avoided by W3C in order to maintain an open innovation path.
No single company should be able to say they define the Net experience and
all must pay them to have it.  If internet standards cease being free and
open to having all it's standards implemented freely, kiss it goodbye, and
hand your computer over to the patent holders.

The ability to build on network sockets and standards is akin to sharing an
electronic Erector Set or Tinker Toys (R) around the globe.  Suppose someone
patents a private type of socket, and seeks W3C blessing...this should be
opposed.

The reasons to oppose patents are both philosophical and practical.  Patents
are respected differently internationally.  How will W3C be able to advocate
or support any patent enforcement that another nation decides respecting a
particular patent is not in it's interest, for military reasons perhaps?
Perhaps  W3C should patent all prior standards and art and charge
corporataions a huge entry fee!  It should cost a patent holder $100,000,000
for any new technology approved by W3C with patents.  That money should be
used to fund a non-infringing version of the technology.

Phillosophically, the future internet must remain open and free.  Both for
the good of the entire community of normal and corporate users.  In the late
1990's the corporations invaded the internet demanding and expecting
capitalistic opportunities and a sort of private socialism from the general
internet community (fund me with venture capital, ad-revenue, and use my
private system or else I'll quit!).  Without the freedom and openess, there
would have been no 'opportunity' to market anything on the internet, no way
to quickly set up and build e-markets.  The internet was the 4 lane
superhighway that benefited all.  We can't let it become a toll-way that
pockets dollars in any group.  Without the open standards of web technology,
this wouldn't have been possible.  Now corporations have the gall to hijack
and take the newer technologies private?This is like legalizing corporate
piracy, saying they have a right to charge for and control what should be
free and open.

The young and brilliant need the internet to be a place where educational
and research values must predominate.  Corporate and private interests MUST
take second place to the freedom, open exchange and open standards that are
the foundation of the internet.  This is required for free research and
general innovation to continue without being mired in infringements
regarding patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc.  Our internet evolution
shouldn't be held captive to someone's archane way of talking across the
'net.

Patent holders wishing their technology to be recognized as such must assign
the patent to W3C.  Royalties shall be split 50/50 with the W3C portion
going to fund the non-infringing version of the technology.  Patent holders
get protected usage of their patent, for commecial use, for 2 years, no
more, the entire internet cannot be beholden to any single corporate or
private interest.  Patented source code must be released to W3C under GPL.

All research, educational and non-profit uses of any patented standard
should be free from patent royalties, this will promote research and
continued innovation and not cripple our children's education by having
schools fork over mounds of cash needed to pay teacher's their meager
salary, typically half of what technogeeks get.



Steven Armstrong, IR Info Consultant
> Wisconsin Electric-Wisconsin Gas 
Software Support Team, A469
333 W. Everett St., Milwaukee, WI 53206
414-221-3013 phone; 441-221-3046 fax; Corp. Pager 7163
Steven.Armstrong@wepco.com