- From: Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
- Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 01:41:38 -0400
- To: www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org
I oppose RAND. While I disagree with with software patents in general, I have no difficulty with free enterprise. However, RAND licencing in standards is *NOT* free enterprise. It amounts to taxation, with the standards body (in this case W3C) acting like a government passing laws *REQUIRING* the payment of taxes. In the case of a company selling proprietary software, they have to convince the potential purchaser of the business case for buying the product. In the case of standards, people/corporations *MUST* comply, by definition of a standard. This will, of course, result in corporations pushing for the adoption of *THEIR* patented technology, not because of technical superiority and benefit to the community as a whole, but rather, because it will benefit that corporation's bottom line. The net effect will be, at least the appearance of, the adoption of inferior technologies into standards at the behest of corporations looking for fat profits. The resulting loss in W3C's credibility will make it that much easier for competing standards bodies to spring up and obtain a following. The situation will eventually resemble the circus currently existing in boxing, where there are a whole bunch of "World Heavyweight Championships". -- Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
Received on Thursday, 4 October 2001 01:42:01 UTC