One last comment...

If your position on including RAND items in W3C standards does proceed, what
it seems will happen is that the Internet will become split yet again on
standards. There will be W3C-standards, and a replacement set of RF
(royalty-free) standards in place.

I, for one, exclusively use Open Source products for all application
development and server platforms on the Internet. In the event that any of
the W3C standards become closed-standards, then they are no longer standard
and I will remove the W3C logo and claim from all of my products and works.

It would be a sad day indeed for this to occur. Please think thoroughly
before bowing to corporate pressure. Just because there are software patents
out there, it doesn't mean that the W3C needs to become tied up in the game
of attempting to make them legitimate.

Sincerely,
Steve Smith
smsmith@pobox.com

Received on Wednesday, 3 October 2001 00:27:50 UTC