Comment on RAND policy proposal

I think it is a serious mistake for you to consider sanctioning
non-royalty-free standards.  Internet standards must be set to _preserve_
openness, not to frustrate it.  At the very least, you should require that
there always be royalty-free alternatives to any licensed technology
before you adopt it as a standard.  You are the best-placed institution to
preserve and protect the Internet against potentially crippling licensing
fees, by refusing to accept fee-based technologies as Internet standards.  
Only then will companies which wish their technologies to become standard
remain willing, in order to get your stamp of approval, to allow use of
those technologies without payment of royalties.  Please resist this
"corporatization" of the Internet.

Sincerely,

Patrick Wiseman