- From: <mark_tracey@yahoo.com>
- Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 09:18:09 +1000
- To: <www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org>
My 2c. I suspect that if the W3C permits the creation of RAND-based recommendations (standards) then the open source community will have to set up an alternative solution. I don't know what that solution will be, but unfortunately it will have to be created. In the long run, the healthier open standards will win out because it will be supported by the open source projects and developers - we'll be able to program with these gnuStandards (as I like to call it) without fear of paying anyone. This patent issue is just simply out of hand - consider these three patents: * Someone else in this list showed how Apple had patented a math calculation (SVGA) * Australians have patented YOUR telephone number (you now owe them money) http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/10/04/FFX0PGT0CSC.html * Parts of the human genome were patented... hello? Someone patented genes which have been around for 100 million years? I have it on good authority that Microsoft has the patents to CSS and XSLT... can you imagine if they ask us all to pay up for our usage? Good lord!! Do you see how ridiculous this patent situation is? We must cut it off now and let's have the W3C ONLY support RAND-free standards. The patent policy must establish IF there is a patent (as it does suggest it will do) and if there IS a patent then the standard (recommendation) must be abandoned. Build the web out of free software for the sake of future generations. If the W3C won't, then we'll do something else about it and here's a suggestion: in programming circles there is a term called "forking" where you cut the code into two copies, one is then intended to stop where it is and the other to grow in a different direction. Open standards may need to be "forked" away from the W3C, leaving them to care take for their paying customers. We'll wait to see what they do. We won't have to wait long. We're covering the whole saga closely (and fairly) on our front page: http://www.topxml.com Thanks, Mark Wilson. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Received on Thursday, 4 October 2001 19:13:18 UTC